Large Ringlet (Erebia euryale)

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2023 photographs highlighted in green. Click on any photograph to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.

21983_male_Hautes-Alpes_12Jul10 18635_male?_Isère_15Jul09 13051_male_Valais, Switzerland_17Jul08 43677_male_Lozère_02Jul17
26535_male_Alpes-Maritimes_08Jul11 27061_male_Hautes-Alpes_14Jul11 45597_male_Savoie_12Jul18 47298_male_Hautes-Alpes_13Jul20
48524_male_Lozère_15Jul21 35941_female_Hautes-Alpes_13Jul14 49818_female_Hautes-Alpes_11Jul22 21893_male_Hautes-Alpes_11Jul10
49845_male_Hautes-Alpes_12Jul22 13311_pair_Valais, Switzerland_20Jul08 48542_female_Lozère_16Jul21 41361_female_Hautes-Alpes_14Jul16

This is quite superficially similar to, but usually (despite its name) smaller than, the Arran Brown (E. ligea) - see the ligea page for a comparison of features. The ocelli are either very small, usually blind, or even just pin-pricks, in the nominate form, but in the subspecies adyte the ocelli can be quite well developed, especially in the female.

 

T&L records adyte occurring in southern Switzerland although I feel that I encounter only this subspecies in the French Alpes. I strongly suspect that all of the photographs on this page, with the exception of 43677, 48524, and 49818 are adyte.

 

H&R says that adyte replaces the nominate form in south-eastern France and I believe this to be true; it also says that the nominate form occurs in France in the Pyrénées and the Massif Central. On checking my records, I found I didn't have any photographs of the nominate form, and in fact I didn't have any records of ever seeing it, until 43677 in 2017.

In the nominate form, the upf red post-discal bands are more separated into individual red marks, with pin-prick black ocelli. Also, in the female of the nominate form, the underside is lighter, especially in the post-discal region, giving clear contrast across this line.

 

The red upf post-discal band of adyte is more "solid" in appearance and often noticeably constricted at s3 where it is straight-edged on both sides and cut by the veins both above and below. The upf ocelli can vary from blind (i.e. no white centres) as in 18635 to quite pronounced as in 26535. The fringes are chequered, so the only other Erebia species it could be confused with is ligea, as no other Erebia species in France has chequered fringes.

 

This is a very variable species, even within the same locality, as indicated by the comments below. I have found it to be very common, often occurring in large numbers in both France and Switzerland. In 2010 I chanced upon over a hundred euryale puddling in one small spot. Often in these large groups, euryale is the only species puddling; they don't appear to be very sociable with other Erebia species.

ref sex

observations

alt. m
21983 M

it is puddling, so I had assumed it to be a male, but the body shape looks decidedly female. I am sure all the other euryale puddling there were males, as the undersides were visible.

1990
18635 M

this may possibly be a male of the nominate form, or at least transitional to the nominate form. It may be the nominate form because the ocelli are fairly small and blind, but the red post-discal band is wide and strong, so adyte is more likely.

1850
13051 M

a typical male of the subspecies adyte.

1800
43677 M a male of the nominate form. 1340
26535 M a male, with a rather wide post-discal red band of almost constant width. The ocelli are rather large and somewhat flattened. The margins are generally quite dark, almost to the point of not being chequered. The other two in shot illustrate the variability of the band. 1400
27061 M a typical euryale, with almost blind ocelli and very clearly chequered fringes. 2020
45597 M a very clear specimen of adyte, from Savoie, further north than most of the French individuals on this page. 2090
47298 M a male, clearly adyte, but with rather small ocelli. It is also clearly very fresh as the brilliant white of the chequered fringes is very evident. 1960
48524 M a male of the nominate form. 1540
35941 F a female, quite fresh and very clearly chequered fringes. 1990
49818 F a rather gravid female of the nominate form, albeit a little worn. I think this is my only image of a female of the nominate form. 2100
21893 M

a male, on the basis of the absence of any white markings on the unh.

1750
49845 M a group of males puddling. This was taken at one of my favourite high altitude locations which is normally rich in species diversity. However, in 2022 euryale almost completely dominated the site to the almost-complete exclusion of any other species. This group was one of many of the same size and I would estimate the total number on this 200m stretch was in the region of 1000. 1960
13311 PAIR

a mating pair, female above, quite dark but showing the classic euryale dentate markings but with no ocelli. The male unh is almost unmarked.

2200
48542 F a female, on the strength of the unh markings, most probably of the nominate form. 1340
41361 F a freshly emerged female, drying her wings before her maiden flight. 1960

 

21983_male_Hautes-Alpes_12Jul10

 

18635_male?_Isère_15Jul09

 

13051_male_Valais, Switzerland_17Jul08

 

43677_male_Lozère_02Jul17

 

26535_male_Alpes-Maritimes_08Jul11

 

27061_male_Hautes-Alpes_14Jul11

 

45597_male_Savoie_12Jul18

 

47298_male_Hautes-Alpes_13Jul20

 

48524_male_Lozère_15Jul21

 

35941_female_Hautes-Alpes_13Jul14

 

49818_female_Hautes-Alpes_11Jul22

 

21893_male_Hautes-Alpes_11Jul10

 

49845_male_Hautes-Alpes_12Jul22

 

13311_pair_Valais, Switzerland_20Jul08

 

48542_female_Lozère_16Jul21

 

41361_female_Hautes-Alpes_14Jul16