Erebia

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Erebia
Arran brown (type species)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Subtribe:
Erebiina
Genus: Erebia
Dalman, 1816
Type species
Papilio ligea
, 1758
Diversity
Around 100 species
Synonyms

Atercoloratus Bang-Haas, 1938
Epigea Hübner, [1819]
Gorgo Hübner, [1819]
Marica Hübner, [1819]
Medusia Verity, 1953
Phorcis Hübner, [1819]
Simplicia Verity, 1953 (non Guenée, 1854: preoccupied)
Syngea Hübner, [1819]
Triariia Verity, 1953
Truncaefalcia Verity, 1953

male Ottoman brassy ringlet E. ottomana
female Ottoman brassy ringlet E. ottomana
female Ottoman brassy ringlet E. ottomana
Nicholl's ringlet (E. rhodopensis)
Nicholl's ringlet (E. rhodopensis)
E. theano

Erebia is a

brush-footed butterflies, family Nymphalidae. Most of the about 90–100 species (see also below
) are dark brown or black in color, with reddish-brown to orange or more rarely yellowish wing blotches or bands. These usually bear black spots within, which sometimes have white center spots.

This genus has found it easy to adapt to

Palearctic
species are collectively known as ringlets or arguses. However, none of these terms is used exclusively for this genus.

Taxonomy and systematics

The genus Erebia was erected by

junior synonyms. Some of the available names are listed by Vladimir Lukhtanov.[1] A fully comprehensive taxonomic checklist (i.e., without discussing synonymy and relationships) was published in 2008.[2]

Only three years after the genus' inception, the known species were reviewed by

entomologists, entomological book dealers, entomological authors and publishers. Examples are Fritz Rühl, Alexander Heyne, Otto Staudinger, Andreas and Otto Bang-Haas and, in Paris, Achille and Émile Deyrolle
.

This, together with the then-popular, even obsessive study of variation by entomologists – examples are

seasonal forms
, temperature-related forms, or geographic races; it was later usually taken to mean the last subspecies though this is often suspected to have been premature.

Eventually, it became common to arrange supposed species and subspecies to "species groups" (not

molecular phylogenetic studies add to the available data, it is becoming clear that most "varieties" that have at least been commonly considered subspecies in the latter 20th century are indeed lineages distinct enough to warrant some formal degree of recognition. Another result of recent research is confirmation of the theory that this genus contains many glacial relict taxa, e.g., in the brassy ringlet group (E. tyndarus and similar species).[5]

The number of currently recognized Erebia species is given variously around 90-100, as developments happen so fast that it is hard for authors to remain up to date regarding the newest changes.[5]

Species list

As of early 2008, the following good species and some rather distinct subspecies are listed:[6]

Gallery

  • First of the three Erebia plates in the 1915 Macrolepidoptera of the World, edited by Adalbert Seitz. This work was published near the height of taxonomic confusion about these butterflies.
    First of the three Erebia plates in the 1915 Macrolepidoptera of the World, edited by Adalbert Seitz. This work was published near the height of taxonomic confusion about these butterflies.
  • Another Macrolepidoptera of the World plate, showing larger species.
    Another Macrolepidoptera of the World plate, showing larger species.
  • Third Macrolepidoptera of the World plate, of the 31 named taxa depicted, probably less than 10 are actual species.
    Third Macrolepidoptera of the World plate, of the 31 named
    taxa
    depicted, probably less than 10 are actual species.

Erebia comparison

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Lukhtanov [2008]
  2. ^ Tennent (2008)
  3. ^ Hübner [1819]
  4. ^ Warren (1936)
  5. ^ a b Albre et al. (2008)
  6. ^ Brower (2006), Albre et al. (2008), and see Savela (2008) for more sources
  7. ^ Brock, Jim P. and K. Kaufman (2003). Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America. New York, NY:Houghton Mifflin.

References

External links

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Erebia
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