Glacier butterfly
| Glacier butterfly | ||||||||||||
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Glacier butterfly ( Oeneis glacialis ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Oeneis glacialis | ||||||||||||
| ( Minor , 1783) |
The glacier butterfly ( Oeneis glacialis ) is a butterfly (day butterfly ) from the noble butterfly family (Nymphalidae).
features
The medium-sized moths have a wingspan of 48 to 58 millimeters. They have brownish fore and hind wings with an indistinct yellowish outer band in which there are dark eyes. The individual range of variation is considerable, especially with regard to coloration and number of eyes. Lighter, brownish ocher moths often have more and larger eyes. The f.unicolor Rbl. is almost monochrome black-gray with a faded ocher-yellow band and small eyes. The brown shape has a certain similarity to the ocher velvet butterfly ( Hipparchia semele ), but cannot be confused because of its occurrence at different altitudes. The egg is elongated with closely spaced longitudinal ribs and whitish in color.
Similar species
- Velvet butterfly ( Hipparchia semele )
Habitat and way of life
The glacier butterfly occurs in the high mountains , exclusively in the Alpine region above the tree line , mainly at altitudes between 1200 and 3000 meters. In some areas the species is common in very limited places, but because of the two-year development time it is often only every other year. Favorite flight areas are scree slopes and stony alpine meadows, over which the butterfly glides at low flight. He likes to linger on rocks in the sun and occasionally suckle on stalkless catchfly ( Silene acaulis ).
Flight and caterpillar time
The moths fly from June to August. The caterpillar season is from September to June of the year after next. The young caterpillars overwinter for the first time before the first moult and again fully grown.
Forage plants of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed on various fescue species (Festucae).
Synonyms
- Oeneis aello
swell
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ludwig Osthelder: The butterflies of southern Bavaria . Supplement to the 15th year of the Munich Entomological Society.
- ↑ Identification aid for the butterfly species documented in Europe: Oeneis glacialis (MOLL, 1783) - Gletscherfalter
- ↑ Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 2: Butterflies. (Rhopalocera and Hesperiidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1955, DNB 456642188 .
Web links
- Lepiforum e. V. - photos
- Oeneis (Oeneis) glacialis at Fauna Europaea
- Oeneis glacialis inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: van Swaay, C., Wynhoff, I., Verovnik, R., Wiemers, M., López Munguira, M., Maes, D., Sasic, M., Verstrael, T., Warren, M. & Settele, J., 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2014.