LEPIDOPTERA

• S A T Y R I D A E Boisduval, 1833

  • EREBIA Dalman, 1816

    
    

    • Erebia rossi Curtis, [1834]

Erebia rossi Curtis, [1834]

· TYPE LOCALITY. "Boothia Peninsula, Northwest Territories" [Canada].

· RANGE. From the Altai and N. Mongolia across Transbaikalia to the northern areas of Eurasia and N. America.

· DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. Specimens from the Chukot Peninsula and polar tundras of the European part and Siberia are similar to the ssp. kuskoquima Holland, 1931 (= subarctica Korshunov, 1996) in appearance. Butterflies from Transbaikalia, the Altai and Sayan Mts.,. which have apical spots not connected with each other, look very similar to the nominate form of E. rossi, but they have been described as E. erda Sheljuzhko, 1924 (Ent. Anz., 4: 165. TL: Sayan Mts., "Munku-Sardyk"). Along with them, specimens have found there with a large double apical eye-spot on the forewing, all described as ero Bremer, 1861 (= dzhelindae Sheljuzhko, 1925; = polyopis Sheljuzhko, 1919). Further studies are required to refine the identity of these forms.

· HABITAT AND BIOLOGY. Lowland and mountain tundras up to 2,000 m a.s.l.; in the Altai Mts., it inhabits stony slopes up to 2,800 m a.s.l. Flight period: June-July. Host plants (Gorbunov, Korshunov, 1995): Carex and grasses.

· SIMILAR SPECIES. E. embla: UPS ocelli large and well-developed. E. disa: UNH with a clearly defined postdiscal band; UNH discal cell with a white dot at its outer side.

Photo and text: Guide to the BUTTERFLIES OF RUSSIA and adjacent territories Volume 1. PENSOFT, Sofia - Moscow. 1997