33:
438:
503:
46:
476:
549:
624:
Adult black mountain ringlets are found in summer, from
December to February, and the Patricks note that early versus late emergence is one of the characteristics distinguishing the undescribed species. This species is considered to live about a year in its adult stage, but as the larvae can take two
598:
are common throughout the
Southern Alps, but larvae are present only where the grass grows adjacent to rocky areas. Black mountain ringlet larvae are night feeders to avoid predators, which can easily spot them feeding on the tips of tussock blades. They spend little time feeding, but instead conceal
535:
The adult female black mountain ringlet deposits her eggs atop stones on alpine slopes, rather than on a larval food plant. When the sun is out it heats the stone's exposed surface, incubating the eggs. This behaviour is unique among New
Zealand butterflies and is only seen in a handful of butterfly
539:
The eggs are initially blue, eventually turning speckled and brown, which allows them to blend in with the stony background. About two days before hatching this colouration is lost and the brown head of the larvae becomes visible. The hatching process takes around 12 days, or longer if the eggs are
455:
can be between 35 and 55 mm, and its broad velvety wings are usually black or brown across the dorsal surface, sometimes with a purple reflection. Forewings have characteristic black and white circles inside a patch of brown at their distal ends. There is little sexual dimorphism: males and females
521:
slopes and amongst rockfalls. It occurs at altitudes ranging from 800 to 2500 metres, up to 3100 m in the northern mountains of the South Island. Although the butterfly is less common below 1200 m, it can be found down to 800 m on valley floors and passes if the scree habitat is present. It can be
607:
At the start of pupation the black mountain ringlet turns grey with brown speckles to match the surrounding stones. Unlike most butterflies pupae are suspended horizontally rather than vertically, and are attached to the undersurface of a rock with a large
573:, each of which take about a month in pleasant summer temperatures, but up to eight months over winter. For this reason the butterfly can stay in its larval stage for up to two years, and can be found almost year-round in an instar stage.
467:"When disturbed this insect flies often with considerable rapidity and thus often eludes the net, so that the capture of a good series of specimens on a rugged mountain-slope is usually very exciting, if not actually dangerous work." β
1003:
494:. The butterfly sits with its wings open and turned towards the sun, flying while the sun is shining and hiding amongst rocks when clouds intervene. At night they shelter deep in rocky crevices.
625:
or three summers to grow to full size there is a possibility that it can live up to four. This slow growth may reflect the extreme climate and conditions of New
Zealand's Southern Alps.
920:
666:
Butler, A. G., 1876. List of the butterflies now known to inhabit New
Zealand, with descriptions of a new genus, and a new species, in the collection of John D. Enys, Esq.
250:
to New
Zealand, although there may be other undescribed species in the genus. The black mountain ringlet is notable for living exclusively in rocky areas of New Zealand's
1037:
456:
are similar in appearance, with females a little larger. The row of large pale spots often found on the underside of the hindwings is more noticeable in females.
855:
1129:
1063:
318:, with up to six species in the genus. In their 2012 guide to South Pacific butterflies, Brian and Hamish Patrick stated there are up to eight species of
1011:
486:
Wing colour plays an important physiological role: the dark wings with a large surface area absorb sunlight and store heat, essentially acting like
260:
species, and it pupates under a stone. It has distinctive dark velvety wings and a zig-zag flight pattern over the scree slopes on which it lives.
540:
at higher altitudes. To sustain itself the newly-hatched larva consumes its egg casings, which have sufficient nutrients for early larval stages.
653:
Fereday, R. W., 1872. Observations on a paper read by Mr A. Bathgate before the Otago
Institute, 11 January 1870, "On the Lepidoptera of Otago".
322:
still to be described, based on wing shape, pattern, and colour, size, behaviour, and season of emergence. Their species list was as follows:
819:
756:
1124:
1119:
1050:
613:
311:
32:
468:
890:
684:
45:
988:
402:
was being studied with a view to formally naming and describing these species, as of 2022 that had yet to happen, and
1068:
634:
164:
931:
680:
437:
289:
281:
124:
1055:
993:
147:
612:, a hook-shaped protuberance on the abdomen. Pupae have been found up to 3 feet away from the nearest
459:
Black mountain ringlets fly slowly in zigzag patterns, especially on a sunny day, taking advantage of
1078:
874:
772:
584:
915:
173:
40:
969:
502:
292:
in 1967 regarded this as the correct name for the species, but was eventually synonymised with
1114:
1086:
1042:
911:
815:
752:
475:
419:
417:, means "dark moth", and is applied to several ringlet species, including the forest ringlet (
410:
339:
307:
273:
1091:
882:
833:
719:
711:
425:
388:
777:
825:
315:
303:
237:
878:
708:
New species of New
Zealand black mountain ringlet butterflies (Satyrinae: Percnodaimon)?
548:
1108:
811:
595:
491:
379:
268:
This species has had a complicated taxonomic history. It was originally described as
251:
578:
554:
487:
330:
886:
514:
is restricted to the dry eastern mountains in the South Island of New
Zealand, on
1024:
963:
442:
399:
392:
364:
254:, usually above 1200 m. Its eggs are laid on rocks, its larvae feed on mountain
233:
107:
97:
954:
785:
837:
723:
609:
515:
360:
229:
77:
57:
829:
980:
948:
685:"Taxonomy of Two New Zealand Butterfly Species (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae)"
329:(Fereday, 1872) β the commonest black mountain butterfly of the eastern
1016:
776:
715:
460:
247:
1029:
378:
sp.nov. 3 β Eyre, Livingstone, and
Takitiku Mountains to the south of
570:
87:
67:
925:
784:. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn. pp. 114β115 – via
566:
547:
518:
501:
474:
452:
436:
351:
522:
quite common and even seasonally abundant in suitable habitat.
929:
590:
256:
565:
larvae vary from dull grey to brown and have black anterior
856:"The Life History of the Black Mountain Ringlet Butterfly
689:
Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Zoology
350:, and found in the Harris and Richardson mountains of
236:. It is currently the only recognised species in the
751:. Dunedin: Otago University Press. pp. 96β105.
296:, under which name it is usually referred to today.
276:
in the South Island, and was moved to the new genus
938:
616:. The adult butterflies emerge 2 to 3 weeks later.
536:species occupying the Himalayas and European Alps.
406:is still considered the only species in the genus.
8:
490:, an adaptation to the cool climate of the
926:
398:Although the Patricks stated in 2012 that
31:
20:
594:species are the larval food plant. These
747:Patrick, Brian; Patrick, Hamish (2012).
646:
272:by Richard W. Fereday in 1872 from the
310:sequencing by Hamish Patrick for his
7:
1130:Taxa named by Arthur Gardiner Butler
1079:533d48dc-590a-4520-8270-a7ab8ccda1c5
910:Black mountain ringlet discussed on
849:
847:
801:
799:
797:
795:
779:Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand
742:
740:
738:
736:
734:
732:
706:Hamish James Hunter Patrick (2012),
506:In its usual habitat of scree slopes
463:and often gliding in a "V" position.
599:themselves in nearby hiding spots.
14:
749:Butterflies of the South Pacific
363:mountains from western Otago to
44:
314:Hons thesis suggested it was a
1:
887:10.1080/00779962.1970.9723068
372:sp.nov. 2 β Pisa Range, Otago
338:(new status) β described by
1146:
1125:Monotypic butterfly genera
1120:Butterflies of New Zealand
635:Butterflies of New Zealand
854:Gibbs, George W. (1970).
808:Which New Zealand insect?
387:sp.nov. 4 β Mountains of
284:in 1876. It was known as
179:
172:
153:
146:
41:Scientific classification
39:
30:
23:
867:New Zealand Entomologist
423:) and Butler's ringlet (
569:. The larvae have five
655:Trans. Proc. N.Z. Inst
559:
507:
483:
473:
445:
299:Most sources consider
226:black mountain ringlet
806:Andrew Crowe (2017).
551:
505:
478:
465:
440:
710:, Research@Lincoln,
448:The wingspan of the
288:for many years, and
16:Genus of butterflies
916:Critter of the Week
896:on 21 January 2015.
879:1970NZEnt...4...12G
576:The alpine grasses
480:Percnodaimon merula
336:Percnodaimon micans
221:Percnodaimon merula
157:Percnodaimon merula
858:Percnodaimon pluto
560:
508:
484:
482:basking in the sun
446:
327:Percnodaimon pluto
312:Lincoln University
308:mitochondrial gene
286:Percnodaimon pluto
199:Percnodaimon pluto
1102:
1101:
1087:Open Tree of Life
932:Taxon identifiers
821:978-0-14-100636-9
773:Hudson, George V.
758:978-1-877578-04-5
420:Dodonidia helmsii
340:Augustus Hamilton
274:Craigieburn Range
230:satyrid butterfly
217:
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889:. Archived from
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469:George V. Hudson
441:Illustration by
426:Erebiola butleri
389:South Canterbury
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921:2 December 2022
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670:., 13: 152β154.
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316:species complex
266:
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905:External links
903:
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814:. p. 14.
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657:., 4: 214-218.
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552:Blue tussock (
545:
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396:
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367:
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306:, but in 2012
265:
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232:in the family
215:
214:
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207:Oreina othello
204:
196:
194:Hewitson, 1875
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139:P. merula
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585:P. buchananii
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252:Southern Alps
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210:Fereday, 1876
208:
205:
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192:
191:Erebia merula
189:
186:Fereday, 1872
184:
181:
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152:
149:
148:Binomial name
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29:
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22:
19:
970:Percnodaimon
940:Percnodaimon
939:
914:
891:the original
873:(4): 12β18.
870:
866:
857:
810:. Auckland:
807:
778:
767:
748:
707:
701:
692:
688:
681:Wise, K.A.J.
675:
667:
662:
654:
649:
623:
606:
589:
588:, and other
583:
579:Poa colensoi
577:
575:
563:Percnodaimon
562:
561:
555:Poa colensoi
553:
538:
534:
512:Percnodaimon
511:
509:
498:Distribution
488:solar panels
485:
479:
466:
458:
450:Percnodaimon
449:
447:
424:
418:
414:
408:
403:
397:
385:Percnodaimon
384:
376:Percnodaimon
375:
370:Percnodaimon
369:
359:sp.nov. 1 β
357:Percnodaimon
356:
347:
344:Erebia pluto
343:
335:
331:South Island
326:
320:Percnodaimon
319:
301:Percnodaimon
300:
298:
293:
285:
278:Percnodaimon
277:
270:Erebia pluto
269:
267:
255:
243:Percnodaimon
242:
241:
225:
220:
219:
218:
206:
202:Butler, 1876
198:
190:
183:Erebia pluto
182:
156:
154:
138:
137:
119:Percnodaimon
118:
117:
25:Percnodaimon
24:
18:
1025:iNaturalist
964:Wikispecies
716:10182/11770
695:(4): 39β44.
443:Des Helmore
433:Description
400:nuclear DNA
393:North Otago
365:Fox Glacier
342:in 1909 as
234:Nymphalidae
108:Nymphalidae
98:Lepidoptera
1109:Categories
838:Q105622564
786:Wikisource
724:Q112891089
641:References
614:food plant
526:Life cycle
510:The genus
415:pepe pouri
78:Arthropoda
1001:ButMoth:
610:cremaster
516:greywacke
404:P. merula
361:Fiordland
304:monotypic
294:P. merula
238:monotypic
133:Species:
64:Kingdom:
58:Eukaryota
1115:Satyrini
1051:LepIndex
978:BioLib:
955:Q1758376
949:Wikidata
860:Fereday"
834:Wikidata
830:3731007M
775:(1928).
720:Wikidata
683:(1967).
629:See also
596:tussocks
461:thermals
264:Taxonomy
174:Synonyms
165:Hewitson
104:Family:
74:Phylum:
68:Animalia
54:Domain:
1043:1098911
1017:1908107
1004:22235.0
875:Bibcode
571:instars
248:endemic
228:, is a
167:, 1875)
114:Genus:
94:Order:
88:Insecta
84:Class:
1092:739676
1076:NZOR:
1069:366153
1056:139339
1030:197068
981:686376
836:
828:
818:
781:
755:
722:
544:Larvae
471:(1928)
413:name,
348:micans
282:Butler
240:genus
224:, the
127:, 1876
125:Butler
1038:IRMNG
994:83610
894:(PDF)
863:(PDF)
620:Imago
567:setae
519:scree
453:imago
411:MΔori
352:Otago
346:var.
1064:NCBI
1012:GBIF
989:BOLD
816:ISBN
753:ISBN
603:Pupa
531:Ovum
409:Its
391:and
290:Wise
912:RNZ
883:doi
712:hdl
591:Poa
429:).
280:by
257:Poa
1111::
1089::
1066::
1053::
1040::
1027::
1014::
991::
966::
951::
919:,
881:.
869:.
865:.
846:^
832:.
826:OL
824:.
794:^
731:^
718:,
691:.
687:.
582:,
246:,
885::
877::
871:4
840:.
788:.
761:.
714::
693:9
558:)
163:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
