Swiss Brassy Ringlet - Moiré cuivré

Description:

Perfect camouflage for rocks! The Swiss Brassy Ringlet belongs to a specialized mountain group of ringlets in the genus Erebia. It is endemic to the Southern Swiss Alps and neighbouring regions. The adults only fly for a brief time during summer, mainly in July and August, feeding on nectar of mountain flowers. The upper forewings show extensive orange copper (third shot), while the underwings are mottled and largely unmarked. Like other brassy ringlets it shows, in certain light, a brassy green/violet coloration on the upper forewing (3rd shot)

Habitat:

Short grass with rocks, alpine level, alt. 2400 m ASL. Last shots shows the habitat.

Notes:

The brassy ringlets diverged at the end of the Riss/Saale glaciation about 130,000 years ago, when the available habitat shifted up the mountains. See below for the distinction with other brassy ringlet species: http://www.eurobutterflies.com/species_p...