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Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.
Butterflies of Britain & Europe
 
Ringlet
Aphantopus hyperantus LINNAEUS, 1758
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily - SATYRINAE
Tribe - SATYRINI
 
 introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour
 
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus, male, Alice Holt forest, Hampshire, England
 
Introduction
 
The Ringlet is a common and widely distributed species found throughout Europe with the exception of northern Scandinavia, peninsular Italy, Portugal, southern and central Spain, and the Mediterranean islands. Beyond Europe it occurs across much of temperate Asia including Siberia, Mongolia, northern China and Korea.
 
The sexes are virtually identical, but the male has a barely visible dark diagonal patch of androconial scales on the forewings, and the anal claspers at the tip of the abdomen are visible when the butterfly is basking.
 
There is minor variation in the size and shape of the ocelli on the underside wings, and at certain sites a small percentage of the population have the yellow rings absent, with the inner ocelli reduced to tiny dots. This form is known as ab. arete. Another aberration occurs in which the ocelli are enlarged and sometimes extended into a tear-drop or pear shape. This is known as ab. lanceolata. Both forms are caused by the sporadic re-emergence of recessive genes.
 
Scottish specimens tend to be smaller and duller in colour than those from southern England.
 
In Europe and temperate Asia there are 2 similar species. The False Ringlet Coenonympha oedippus is smaller. On the underside it has a silvery submarginal line on both wings, and usually a narrow creamy band abutting the hindwing ocelli. The Woodland Brown Lopinga achine is larger than the Ringlet. It has prominent yellow-ringed ocelli on both wing surfaces, and a broken white band abutting the ocelli on the underside hindwing.
 
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus, male, Alice Holt Forest, Hampshire, England
 
Habitats
 
In Britain Aphantopus hyperantus is found commonly throughout most of England, but is scarcer in the north west. In Scotland it is common in the south west but scarce elsewhere, and absent from the extreme north. Wales has strong populations in the valleys and low lying areas. The butterfly is common throughout Ireland.
 
The Ringlet breeds primarily in damp open woodlands, inhabiting rides and sunny glades where the grasses grow tall and lush. It also occurs in small numbers on scrubby grassland, occupying damp hollows which have escaped grazing; and along hedgerows, ditches, railway cuttings, country lanes and similar damp sheltered habitats.
 
Lifecycle
 
The adults emerge in late June and early July.
 
Ringlets do not glue their eggs to leaves, but instead drop them randomly as they fly in and out of grasses. Oviposition sites are usually close to bushes.
 
The eggs are shiny, almost spherical, tapering slightly towards the top. They are pale buff in colour, becoming darker after a few days.
 
The caterpillars hatch after about 2 weeks, and feed nocturnally on the tender blades of tufted hair grass Deschampsia caespitosa, annual meadow grass Poa pratensis, couch grass Agropyron repens, and cock's foot Dactylis glomerata. Additional species are used in continental Europe. In September, when in the 2nd instar, they enter hibernation but awaken to feed on warmer evenings during the winter.
 
In March of the following year they resume feeding in earnest. They hide during the day at the base of grass tufts, but at dusk crawl up to feed, and can be seen by torch-light, resting on grass stems. If disturbed they roll into a ball and drop to the ground.
 
The larva becomes fully grown in late May, and is a dusky olive-brown colour with a dark stripe along the back, and paler lines along the sides.
 
The pupa is formed within a very flimsy cocoon ( little more than a few strands of silk ), at the base of a tuft of grass. It is pale brown, marked on the wing cases with darker streaks and tiny dots.
 
Adult behaviour
 
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus, Bentley Wood, Wiltshire, England
 

The butterflies are noted for their characteristic flip-flop flight over short distances, and rarely cover more than a few metres at a time. They are active in warm, but overcast conditions, and will fly even during light rain. When it is sunny they tend to spend long periods at rest in shady spots, but in overcast conditions they are more likely to be seen basking on bracken or other low vegetation.

 

Ringlets nectar primarily at bramble blossom, and occasionally visit buttercups. I do not recall seeing them use any other nectar sources.

 

Copulation takes place in the late morning or early afternoon, and rarely lasts longer than half an hour. When copulated the butterflies tend to sit on the stems or leaves of low herbage. I have not observed any form of territorial behaviour, and copulation appears to take place without any preliminary courtship ritual.

 

Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus, Alice Holt forest, Hampshire, England

 

In June 2008 at Alice Holt forest in Hampshire I witnessed an amusing incident where a confused male Ringlet spent about 2 minutes chasing a freshly emerged Red Admiral around in tight circles. Red Admirals have a powerful flight, so the butterfly could easily have escaped the attentions of the Ringlet if it chose to, but interestingly it "played along", allowing the Ringlet to maintain close contact throughout the sortie.

 

Overnight, and during spells of wet weather Ringlets hide deep in vegetation, choosing spots adjacent to bushes.

 
                                                       
Almost every British and European species of butterfly is declining rapidly in numbers, due in most cases to loss or degradation of habitats.
 
You can help to reverse the decline by supporting conservation organisations which purchase and manage habitats as nature reserves, and which lobby government at local, national and international levels, often very successfully, to bring about changes in farming, forestry and urban development policies.
 
Please contact the conservation organisations for advice on how you can help protect British and European butterflies and their habitats. You may be able to offer practical help e.g. by monitoring butterfly populations or helping to manage nature reserves. Donations to these organisations enable them to employ ecologists and biologists. Even if you are unable to provide such help, merely having your name on the membership list can be a powerful tool for conservation organisations wishing to demonstrate the levels of support they have for their policies.

 

 
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