Blind Ringlet (Erebia pharte)
2009 photos highlighted in yellow. Click on any photo to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 17767_male_Hautes Alpes_10Jul09 | 18846_female_Haute Savoie_19Jul09 | 12222_male_Hautes Alpes_8Jul08 |
A relatively small Erebia which I have seen only on three occasions, two of them being in 2009. It is generally found at high altitudes, and Lafranchis gives the usual lower limit as 1400m. It is distinguishable from many of its close relatives by the red post-discal band, usually complete on all four wing surfaces, all red spots without ocelli, even minute pinpricks.
The form phartina (no, I'm not making it up, this really is the scientific name) is darker and with the upf and uph red post-discal bands reduced to discrete red marks, and occurs above 1800m across the full distribution range.
17767: a male, which I don't think can be anything but pharte. Despite the altitude, it does not appear to be of the from phartina. Altitude 1890m.
18846: I recorded this as a female, probably for good reasons at the time. Altitude 1400m.
12222: a male of the form phartina. It was apparently different in size and markings to other Erebia flying, but I only managed to get this distance shot. Altitude 1990m. Altitude 1400m.
17767_male_Hautes Alpes_10Jul09
18846_female_Haute Savoie_19Jul09
12222_male_Hautes Alpes_8Jul08
