Kingdom Animalia Order Lepidoptera Genus Erebia Higher classification Erebia | Phylum Arthropoda Family Nymphalidae Scientific name Erebia christi Rank Species | |
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Similar Erebia, Erebia nivalis, Butterflies and moths, Erebia melampus, Sooty ringlet | ||
The Raetzer's ringlet (Erebia christi) is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Italy and Switzerland. Its natural habitat is temperate grassland. It is one of the rarest European butterflies, having not more than six or seven populations.
Biology
The butterflies often bask in the sun with their wings wide open. The males congregate regularly on damp ground. The females visit different nectar plants and are especially fond of thyme. They lay their eggs on the dry grass stems of Festuca ovina. Before completing their development, the caterpillars hibernate twice.
References
Raetzer's ringlet Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA