North American Butterflies and Moths List

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Butterflies of North America

Magdalena Alpine (Erebia magdalena)
JPG -- species photo

Magdalena Alpine (Erebia magdalena Strecker)

Wing span: 1 3/4 - 2 inches (4.5 - 5.1 cm).

Identification: Wings are black above and below. Subspecies erinnyn has an orange tinge on the forewings.

Life history: To find females, males patrol over rockslides all day. Eggs are laid near rockslides, on grasses and sedges, and on the side of rocks near rushes. Caterpillars hibernate.

Flight: One brood from late June-July.

Caterpillar hosts: Probably grasses, sedges, and/or rushes.

Adult food: Flower nectar.

Habitat: Rockslides near vegetation, at or above treeline.

Range: Alaska's Brooks Range; high mountains of Colorado, western Wyoming, and northeast Utah.

Conservation: Not usually required.

The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

Management needs: None reported.

References:


Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, 

     Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.



Tilden, J. W. 1986. A field guide to western butterflies. Houghton-Mifflin Co., 

     Boston, Mass. 370 pages, 23 color plates.

Author: Jane M. Struttmann

Magdalena Alpine (Erebia magdalena)
distribution map
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