Ligea is a large Erebia and can be identified by the strongly chequered fringes (not very clear in 17812 above, as ageing can dull the contrast of the fringes), and the three large white-pupilled upf ocelli in s2, s4/5 (often fused in the female), plus possible ocelli of variable size in s3 and occasionally s1. It also has a wide red upf post-discal band of almost constant width from s2 to s6, tapering at s1. The lower end of the altitude range given by Lafranchis is 400m, although I have not encountered it below 1000m.

It could be confused with the probably erroneously-named (as I find ligea to be larger) Large Ringlet (E. euryale) where the euryale ocelli are usually blind, at least in the nominate form. The euryale subspecies adyte, which occurs in south eastern France and has white-pupilled ocelli and generally more chequered fringes, is more likely to be confused with ligea, where adyte occurs. However, the ligea unh has a clear white streak from the costa to s5, more pronounced in the female, which adyte has not.

H&R casts doubt on the authenticity of these records, and Lionel Higgins was noted as being very rigorous in his approach. Lowland specimens of the Scotch Argus (E. aethiops), especially the female, can look remarkably like ligea. But the English names tend to stick, right or wrong, like Bath White, Camberwell Beauty, Essex Skipper, Lulworth Skipper, etc.

observations

clearly a female based on body shape and the four huge upf post-discal ocelli with large clear white centres. The edges of the red post-discal bands on both wings are quite jagged.

a female, from the same location as 17812. The ocelli are probably normal for female ligea.

clearly a female, based on the length of the unh white mark, although it could be mistaken for euryale subspecies adyte (the white mark is much larger than that shown in T&L for ligea) except for the very well-developed unh ocelli which clearly point to ligea.