erebia pickle

[Gary Hulbert]

Hi everyone and best wishes to the forum community. Could someone please help with the ID of the attached butterfly which I admit has got me in a ‘bit of a pickle’.
This butterfly was seen on the 28 June in Evolene, Switzerland (habitat - meadows flanked with river and woodlands).
There are no chequered fringes and appeared slightly larger than an erebia alberganus (Almond Eyed Ringlet).
The first picture, all-be-it not brilliant, seems to show an unhw with little or no markings. This initially led me to think of erebia triaria (de Prunner's Ringlet) when looking at the ups (second photo). However in this photo there appears to be an indication of orange on the unhw with ocelli which made me think possibly erebia medusa (Woodland Ringlet). Thought there were too many ocelli and to much orange for erebia oeme (Bright Eyed Ringlet) but don't really know.
Many thanks for any clarity that you can offer me.

[Roger Gibbons]

Your first thought was right, it is triaria.

[Gary Hulbert]

Brilliant Roger thank you . Can 'triaria' have an orange post discal band on unhw or do you think this is the angle of the photo?

[Padfield]

I think the orange is showing through the wing. I can find photos of mine where some orange shows, but not any with the light on the right side of the wing! Here's one, for example:



I hope to see a few more of your Swiss photos in due course ...

Guy

[MikeOxon]

Phew!!! When I first saw the title of this thread, my mind wandered off in this direction:-

Mike

[Gary Hulbert]

Thanks Guy and Mike for your tasty photos. I did wonder about the orange showing through Guy and so you've put your mind at rest, thanks once more. Regarding other photos I've managed now to reduce the size of my .JPEG photos which because of their file format where already compressed. Should now be able to attach them without too much rework.

[Paul Wetton]

Hi Gary

Pleased to see you've got this one sorted out. Apologies for not getting back to you with an answer as I was called away to Lyon with work and to be honest this one had me confused, it's not a species I saw when in the Val d'Herens.

All the best.

[Gary Hulbert]

Hi Paul, please don't worry I guessed you were busy. RG has kindly answered my query and Guy, who I had the pleasure of meeting in Switzerland, also contributed to answer my questions concerning this species

[Paul Wetton]

Hi Gary

I'd like to have another trip to the area some time. Did you say this species was found close to Evolene? as I'd like to look for it on a return visit.

All the best.

[Padfield]

It's the earliest Erebia in the region, Paul - usually appearing in April and peaking during May at valley level (where it is most common). It is best combined with a Camberwell beauty trip ...

Guy

[Gary Hulbert]

Hi Paul, yes it was. Near the campsite crossing over the river in the valley.
Regards Gary

[Roger Gibbons]

Triaria can de identified with some degree of certainty by the upf ocellus in s6 (the smaller one above the two large ocelli). This ocellus, which can occasionally be quite small, is always in line with the other two. Piedmont Ringlet (E. meolans) can have a ocellus in s6 but it is always displaced from the two below it. Perhaps strangely, given the degree of natural variation, this seems to be constant. Guy has photos illustrating this on his triaria page. There are other differences between the two species, but the s6 ocellus renders them unnecessary for ID purposes.

As Guy says, triaria is an April/May species. Just to illustrate the lateness of the season, I saw triaria on 5 July at 2300m altitude this year. Whilst flight periods are later at altitude, this is really quite late in my experience.

I don’t know where you visited in the Val d’Herens, Gary, but if you go there again in end June or July, I suggest you go south to Arolla. There are two main tracks there, one leading south (a large car park at the start) and another (perhaps better) is through Arolla village and up to the old ski lift station (abandoned wooden buildings) and then up the track toward Pra Gra. The Hotel Mont Collon is nearby and not overly expensive. I have records of 47 species seen there in three brief visits 2010-2012.

[Gary Hulbert]

Thanks Roger for your info which is very helpful. I must admit I only made Arolla on the penultimate day and even then only walked the area looking over Evolene (path to Lac Arbey). I'm hoping to return next year, all-be-it later than this, and hope to spend more time in this area....Thanks again for your advice.
Regards Gary