(Hoffmannsegg, 1806)
False Mnestra Ringlet
Description:
The False Mnestra Ringlet occurs on grassy slopes and near woods.
The female lays her eggs on Festuca paniculata, a fescue that only occurs locally. As it is the only food plant known, this accounts for the rare occurrence of this butterfly.
The False Mnestra Ringlet is single-brooded, and passes the winter as a caterpillar.
Habitat:
Alpine grasslands
Evergreen woodland
Deciduous forests
Similar species:
Erebia gorge
Erebia rhodopensis
Erebia mnestra
Erebia gorgone