About Erebia euryale Esper, 1777
Erebia euryale Esper, 1777 is a butterfly species with a wingspan of 20 to 23 mm. It displays considerable geographic variation across populations. Typically, the upperside of the forewings is dark brown, with a reddish-orange postmedian band that bears three or four oval ocelli. In females, these ocelli have white pupils; in males, they are often blind or reduced to small dots. All wings of this species have chequered fringes. Males do not have an androconial area on their forewings. The upperside of each hindwing usually has three eyespots, each surrounded by orange. On the underside of female hindwings, there is a diffuse clear or whitish band that is strongly dentate. Both the caterpillar and chrysalis of this species are pinkish brown. Erebia euryale is rather similar in appearance to Erebia ligea. This species is endemic to Europe. Its distribution covers southern Europe, including the Alps, Cantabrian Mountains, Pyrenees, Carpathians, and Balkans, as well as northern Europe from Finland to the Urals, and the Altai region. Erebia euryale is an alpine species. It inhabits spruce forest clearings, glades, slopes, subalpine meadows, and damp meadows, at elevations ranging from 500 to 2,600 metres (1,600 to 8,500 ft) above sea level.
