Almond ringlet

Appearance

"Erebia alberganus" has a wingspan of 40 mm. These small butterflies have dark brown wings, with a series of distinctive postdiscal oval or almond shaped orange markings containing small black spots with white highlights. The two sides of the wings are identical. The females usually are slightly larger and lighter brown than the males. Moreover, the eyespots have small white centres.

This species is rather similar to a woodland ringlet but has smaller eyespots.
Wheeler gives a short description

Naming

*"Erebia alberganus alberganus"
⤷ "Erebia alberganus phorcys"

Distribution

This species can be found in the alpine regions of France, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria, in the mountains of central Italy and in some mountains of the northern Balkans.

Behavior

Caterpillars feed on "Gramineae", "Poa annua", sheep's fescue and sweet vernal-grass. When they are half-grown they hibernate. They pupate at the following spring. Adults fly from mid-June to August.

Habitat

These butterflies live in flowery meadows, clearings, grassy places, amongst scrub or woodland, at an elevation of 1,000–2,200 metres above sea level.