Woodland Ringlet (Erebia medusa)
2024 photographs highlighted in yellow. Click on any photograph to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 20524_male_Doubs_1Jun10 | 32706_female_Côte-d'Or_14Jun13 | 15786_pair_Doubs_04Jun09 |
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Medusa is a butterfly of eastern France, not occurring in the south, so I have limited experience of it, having seen it only in a few locations in eastern France, and in the wetlands of the Jura where it was quite common. It has an almost complete set of ocelli on both the upperside and underside. |
From an upperside view alone, the only possible species it could be confused with in
France is the Almond-eyed Ringlet (E. alberganus) which is an
altitude specialist so their ranges do not overlap, and even then the ocelli of medusa are much better
developed and rounded with strong white centres.
The orange-red post-discal bands tend to be wider and more complete in the female than the male, based on a limited number of observations. |
| ref | sex |
observations |
alt. m |
| 20524 | M |
probably a male, based on body shape, and the small size of the ocelli. |
860 |
| 32706 | F | a female, as indicated by the body length and shape. The female also tends to have better developed orange post-discal bands, and those on this specimen seem particularly well-developed. | 430 |
| 15786 | PAIR |
a mating pair, female above. |
860 |
32706_female_Côte-d'Or_14Jun13
