Almond-eyed Ringlet (erebia alberganus)
2008 photos highlighted green. Click on any photo to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 12101_male_Alpes de Haute Provence_7Jul08 | 11859_female_Alpes Maritimes_1Jul08 | 12168_female_Hautes Alpes_7Jul08 |
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| 7622_pair_Alpes Maritimes_26Jun07 |
Unlike most erebia species, it is almost impossible to confuse with any of its cousins, except perhaps the Woodland Ringlet (E. medusa), but alberganus is an altitude species occurring at altitudes greater than 800m whereas medusa occurs from sea level and, although its can be found up to 1800m, it has very limited distribution in the French Alps, being generally found in eastern central France. I have found alberganus to be quite widespread, very common in several localities, making it by far the most common erebia species I have encountered, and I have found this to be true every year since 2006.
The female is slightly larger, as normal for most species, and the red marks slightly larger with small white centres to the ocelli, whereas the males usually have no (or minute) white centres, although 12101 seems to contradict this.
12101: a male, based on body shape, despite the relative lightness of the brown ground colour, which would normally indicate female.
11859: a female, seemingly the converse of 12101 as it is very dark for a female (compare the pair 7622 below) but clearly female based on body shape. I believe this may be of the form tyrsus which is characterised by the brighter colouring and bolder markings, and occurs in the western Alps.
12168: a female, based on the lightness of the ground colour (although not totally indicative, as noted elsewhere on this page) and from what is visible of the body shape.
7622: a mating pair, female at the top. This shows that the female is a slightly lighter brown than the male, even allowing for any camera angle effects. The male ocelli have small white centres. Altitude 1875m.
12101_male_Alpes de Haute Provence_7Jul08
11859_female_Alpes Maritimes_1Jul08
12168_female_Hautes Alpes_7Jul08
7622_pair_Alpes Maritimes_26Jun07
