Marbled ringlet facts for kids
The marbled ringlet (Erebia montana) is a type of butterfly. It belongs to a group of butterflies called Satyrinae, which are part of the larger Nymphalidae family.
Quick facts for kids Erebia montana |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Erebia |
| Species: |
E. montana
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| Binomial name | |
| Erebia montana De Prunner, 1798)
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Contents
Where the Marbled Ringlet Lives
This butterfly can be found in several European countries. These include Austria, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.
You can spot these butterflies in high mountain areas. They like warm, rocky slopes and open spaces in woodlands. They also enjoy grasslands full of flowers. They live in the Alps, from the Ligurian Alps to the Dolomites. You can also find them in the Apuan Alps and parts of the Apennines. They live at heights between 1,100 and 2,500 meters (about 3,600 to 8,200 feet) above sea level.
What the Marbled Ringlet Looks Like
The marbled ringlet butterfly has a wingspan of about 44 to 50 millimeters (1.7 to 2 inches). These are small, dark brown butterflies.
On their top side (upperside), their front wings have a wide, bright orange band. This band has two white, oval-shaped spots that look like eyes near the tip. Sometimes, you might see one or two more faint spots. Their back wings also have three or four eye-like spots.
The underside of their front wings is reddish-brown. It has two eye-spots near the tip and a wavy edge. The underside of their back wings is a marbled chestnut brown. This marbled pattern is why they are called "marbled ringlets." You can also see clear whitish veins on the underside of their back wings.
This butterfly looks quite similar to other butterflies like Erebia stirius, Erebia styx, and Erebia pronoe.
Life Cycle of the Marbled Ringlet
The marbled ringlet butterfly has one generation per year. This means they complete their full life cycle once a year.
The caterpillars of this butterfly spend the winter as very young larvae. In the spring, they start to eat grasses. They mostly feed on types of grass called Festuca and Nardus stricta.
The caterpillars turn into pupae in June or July. The adult butterflies then emerge and fly from July to September. They often land on stones or the ground. They also visit flowers regularly to drink nectar.
Gallery
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Erebia montana goante (Esper, 1802) - from the Langham and Wheeler collection at the Ulster Museum
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Erebia montana goante
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Habitat: montane Festuca grassland at the headwaters of the Moesa in Val Vignun, Switzerland
 | Calvin Brent |
 | Walter T. Bailey |
 | Martha Cassell Thompson |
 | Alberta Jeannette Cassell |
