Species Erebia vidleri - Vidler's Alpine - Hodges#4591

4591

Northwest Alpine

Genus name derived from Greek Έρεβος (Erebos), darkness, or God of darkness; probably chosen in reference to the dark color.

Species name refers to Captain Vidler, who collected the type specimen in the mountains above Seton Lake, near Lillooet, B.C.(1).

wingspan reported as 41-48 mm at nearctica.com, and 35-45 mm at CBIF

Adult: chocolate-brown base; DFW with broad, light orange band with ragged outlines, band tapering down toward trailing edge; two eye-spots near the tip, plus one farther down. VFW same as above but with yellow band. DHW with narrower orange band, and two or three eye spots; VHW with gray band, eye spots absent or inconspicuous. Wing margin checkered, giving a scalloped appearance. [Info. based in part on Pyle (2), and CBIF information - see Internet reference below]

A Pacific Northwest endemic: occurs only in mountainous regions of Washington (Olympic and north Cascade Mountains) and southwestern British Columbia as far north as Mount Hoadley.

Subalpine and alpine meadows, seeps, upper montane forest openings (3,500-8,300 feet)

adults fly from late June to late August (early Aug. in its northern range)

Though larval food unknown, sedges and grasses may be host plants. Guppy and Shepard (1) refer to Pinegrass (Calamagrostis rubescens) as a possible larval food plant.

Larvae have been reared from eggs deposited by captive females; pupa unknown (descriptions and photos in the ground-breaking book by James & Nunnallee, 2011 (3)).

Similar species: E. epipsodea (Butler's, or Common Alpine), which is not reported for the Olympic Mountains. The Common Alpine has black eye spots with white irises, lacks the checkered wing fringes, and has rusty spots on DHW. The gray band on the VHW extends to the wing margin, and has well-defined eye spots.

The closest in color and pattern, though not in genitalia, is Erebia niphonica Janson, from Japan, with a subspecies in Korea.

(4)

(1)

(2)

Canadian Biodiversity Information (CBIF) species account on Vidler's Alpine

Erebia vidleri at Butterflies of America.

common name reference [Northwest Alpine] (Markku Savela, FUNET)