Erebia niphonica

Japanese: ベニヒカゲ（英語表記）Erebia niphonica

Lepidoptera, Satyridae. Forewing length about 22mm. Overall blackish brown, orange-red spots surrounding eye-like patterns on both sides of the forewings and on the upper surface of the hindwings. The underside of the hindwings is dark brown with an indistinct cloud-like pattern. Females have white spots within the eye-like patterns on the upper surface of the wings, the orange-red area is narrower than that of males, and a white or yellow band appears in the center of the underside of the hindwings. There are many regional variations in the markings. The larvae feed on sedges, and adults appear in July and August. It is considered a species of alpine butterfly, and is found in high mountains north of the Chubu region in Honshu, but can also be seen in lowlands in Hokkaido. The closely related species, E. ligea , is slightly larger, with a forewing length of about 24mm, orange-red bands including eye-like patterns on the forewings and the underside of the hindwings has a white band along the inside of the orange-red band. The larvae feed on alpine plants of the Cyperaceae and Gramineae families, and take two years to mature. They are distributed in northern Eurasia. In Japan, they are one of the representative alpine butterflies, and are found on Rishiri Island and Mt. Daisetsu in Hokkaido, where they are called the subspecies E. l. rishirizana , and in Honshu, they are found only in highlands such as the Hida, Kiso, and Akaishi Mountains, Yatsugatake, and Mt. Hakusan, where they are called the subspecies E. l. takanonis .

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

鱗翅目ジャノメチョウ科。前翅長 22mm内外。全体黒褐色で，前翅の両面と後翅表面には眼状紋を囲む橙赤斑がある。後翅裏面は暗褐色で，不鮮明な雲状模様がある。雌では翅表の眼状紋内に白点があるほか，橙赤色部が雄よりも狭く，また後翅裏面中央に白ないし黄色の帯が現れる。斑紋の地域変異が多い。幼虫はスゲ類を食べ，成虫は7～8月に出現する。高山チョウの1種とされ，本州では中部地方以北の高山に産するが，北海道では低地にもみられる。近縁種クモマベニヒカゲ E. ligeaはやや大型で前翅長 24mm内外，前後翅に眼状紋を含む橙赤色帯があり，後翅裏面には橙赤色帯内側に沿って白色帯がある。幼虫は高山帯にあるカヤツリグサ科やイネ科の植物を食べ，成熟に2年を要する。ユーラシア大陸北部に分布する。日本では代表的な高山チョウの1種で，北海道では利尻島と大雪山に産し，亜種 E. l. rishirizanaといい，本州では飛騨・木曽・赤石山脈，八ケ岳，白山などの高地にのみ産し，亜種 E. l. takanonisという。

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