Erebia rossii


Erebia rossii, the Arctic alpine or Ross's alpine, is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Arctic North America and northern Eurasia.

Description

The wingspan is 31–44 mm. The dorsal wings are blackish brown. The forewing in the male has two black eyespots with white pupils sometimes surrounded by one or two orange rings. The male's hindwing has no spots or a partial row of very small spots. The female has two large eyespots and may have smaller spots on both wings. The ventral hindwings have greyish median bands with jagged borders.

Subspecies

Listed alphabetically:
  • E. r. erda Sheljuzhko, 1924
  • E. r. ero Bremer, 1861
  • E. r. gabrieli dos Passos, 1949
  • E. r. kuskoquima Holland, 1931
  • E. r. ornata Leussler, 1935
  • E. r. subarctica Korshunov, 1996

    Life cycle

The food plants of the larvae are various grasses, including Carex species.