Erebia oeme

Rila Mts, Bulgaria, July 2004

f. spodia

Rila Mts, Bulgaria, July 2004

Bright Eyed Ringlet
Erebia oeme

Distribution: Pyrenees, Massif Central, Alps (not S France) and Balkan mountains.

Identification: Medium sized Erebia. Upperside orange marks: hindwing are round and strong with bright pupils, forewing orange band is broken into individual spots - the two larges in spaces 4 and 5 taper off internally.

Very similar to the Woodland Ringlet, E medusa, with which it shares its range everywhere except the Pyrenees. That species does fly earlier than oeme but there is overlap during June. The two are separated definitively by the colour of the underside of the antennal tip: black in oeme and brown in medusa.

In the Pyrenees oeme has a wonderful form in which the underside has very large bright ocelli. In Bulgaria it files locally in the Pirin and Rila Mountains where it is represented by the form spodia. This has very bright hind wing markings, especially on the male upperside.

Flight time: One of the earlier Erebias no the wing, it flies from mid June and is usually over by early August.

Habitat: Woodland clearings and roadside verges at lower levels, wet meadows higher up. Generally flies from 1500 to 2500m but also found around 1000m. Larvae feed on various grasses.

Behaviour: Frequently rests in long grass which make photography tricky.