The black ringlet (Erebia melas) is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae.[1] It is a high-altitude butterfly found in Albania, former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania.
E. melas Hbst. (=maurus Esp.) (37 a). In shape and size like stygne, bearing a close resemblance to the alpine form of the same; the ground-colour however is much darker, being nearly black. On the forewing there are towards the apex two white-centred black ocelli, which contrast with the ground-colour and are sometimes confluent; a third smaller ocellus is situated towards the hindmargin. The hindwing has distally 3—4 white-centred ocelli, which are sometimes as large as those on the forewing. The russet band is indicated by a pale sheen only in the female. The underside of the male agrees fairly well with the upper, the hindwing being somewhat darker than the forewing and bearing sometimes traces of a distallyslightly dentate middle band. In the female the underside is variable, the brown band of the forewing is sometimes distinctly developed or is indicated by a lighter tint, being sometimes altogether absent. The hindwing is brown-grey with blackish atoms; there being before the distal margin a lighter band which is exteriorly undulate and bears 3—4 small white-centred ocelli. In Carinthia, Istria, the Balkan countries, South Russia and Greece. — In the form astur Oberth. (37 a) [may be subspecies of ''lefebvrei''] the upperside is quite black, sometimes without ocelli, but mostly with 2 small, white, usually deep black-bordered ocelli. The female silvery grey beneath, with darker forewing. Before the distal margin there is a band which is dark red-brown on the forewing and pale grey on the hindwing, thus contrasting with the ground. From the higher parts of the Pyrenees. — lefebvrei Dub. (37a) [full species in Funet] has the forewing more elongate than the name-typical melas; the ocelli of both wings are larger and more brightly white-centred, the two on the forewing being mostly united. On the underside the forewing is but little paler than above, the russet-red band being distinct. The hindwing is uniformly black-brown without band, the submarginal ocelli being very small or quite absent. Antenna black above and beneath, being white beneath in melas. Pyrenees. — pyrenaea Oberth. [may be subspecies of ''lefebvrei''] has in the male often a red-brown band on the forewing beneath; the female has the forewing dark red-brown, the underside with bright red distal band, the hindwing beneath being brown-red with pale yellowish distal band. On the rocky slopes of the Canigou, from 2400 m to the summit. — An intermediate form, intermedia, was described by Oberthur from the mountains of Cambres d'Ase, south of the Mt. Louis (Pyrenees). — Egg light ochreous, with 30-32 longitudinal ribs and irregular impressions. Larva yellow or reddish grey, with yellow sides, dotted with brown on the back, there being a broad dark dorsal line. Pupa first green, the abdomen marked with red, later the wing-cases milky white. The butterflies are on the wing in July, hurrying in a fast flight over the precipices and the boulders, flying at but a little distance above the ground (Oberthur), plentiful.[2]
Adults are on wing from July to September.
The larvae feed on Festuca ovina and possibly other grasses. It overwinters in the larval stage.