Water ringlet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Water ringlet
Museum specimens.Langham and Wheeler collection.Ulster Museum.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Erebia
Species:	E. pronoe
Binomial name
Erebia pronoe (Esper ,1780)
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The water ringlet (Erebia pronoe) is a type of butterfly. It belongs to the Nymphalidae family, which includes many well-known butterflies. This butterfly lives in high mountain areas. You can find it mainly between 900 and 2,800 meters above sea level. It lives in places like the Alps, Pyrenees, and Carpathians. It is also found in Bavaria, Styria, and Bulgaria.

What the Water Ringlet Looks Like

The water ringlet butterfly has a wingspan of about 36 to 46 millimeters. This is about the length of a small paperclip.

Its wings are mostly dark black-brown. On its front wings, it has a reddish-brown band. This band is wider near the front and narrower towards the back. It often has two white-centered "eyespots" near the front edge. Sometimes there is another smaller eyespot closer to the back.

On its hindwings, there are usually three round, reddish-brown spots. These spots also have black dots, sometimes with white centers.

The underside of its front wings is reddish-brown. The outer edges and tips are often dusted with bluish-grey. The underside of its hindwings can be bluish or ash-grey. It has a curved, brown band across the middle. This band clearly separates the outer part of the wing. There might be one or two black spots on this outer part.

Female water ringlets look a bit different from males. Females are usually lighter in color. Their markings are also more noticeable. Their eyespots are larger. The base and a band on the underside of their hindwings are light white-grey. This makes the brown middle band stand out more.

Where the Water Ringlet Lives

This butterfly lives across the Alps mountain range. It is also found in the Apennines, Pyrenees, and Carpathian Mountains. You can also see it in parts of Southern Russia and the southern slopes of the Caucasus mountains.

It prefers meadows and grassy slopes in mountain and alpine regions. It can be found up to 6,000 feet high in some areas.

Water Ringlet Life Cycle

Adult water ringlet butterflies fly from June to September. They have one generation each year. They fly with a quick, jerky movement.

The young butterflies, called larvae or caterpillars, eat plants. They mainly feed on different types of Festuca grass.

Images for kids

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  A water ringlet butterfly

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  Underside of a female water ringlet