Butterfly ID
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Field guide · Sweden
Brush-footed butterflies · Sweden

Disa Alpine

Erebia disa

A dark brown grass butterfly with four evenly sized, brown-yellow eye spots on its forewings and white-spotted wing margins. It is found locally and is usually rare in wetland areas below the mountains and in the transition zone between the taiga and lowlands.

Status in this countryLeast concern in SwedenLC (Least concern)
Disa Alpine
Photo: (c) Nick Block, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0

Flight period

During a typical season, from the end of June to the middle of July.

Habitat

Mycelic areas below the mountains and in the transition zone to the lowlands’ taiga, featuring mountain birch forest and dwarf birch.

Identifying features

Wingspan 42–48 millimetres. On top, the wings are dark brown with regularly spaced white markings along the wing edges; the forewing has four evenly sized, brown and yellow, black eyespots without a white center. The underside of the hindwing is ash grey with a broad, wavy transverse band.

Similar species

No similar species are described in the sources consulted.

Distribution

Occurs in Fennoscandia, primarily east of the mountain range from 64° N to North Finnmark; significantly more widespread north of the polar circle.

Biology

The stages of development are poorly known; the lifecycle is considered to be two years long, and the butterfly is found more frequently during even-numbered years.