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