What do they look like?
Ringlets are a uniform dark brown, almost black, when they first emerge, although the colour fades as they age. The wings are fringed with white and have small black spots with white “pupils” surrounded by yellow or orange circles.
These rings – from which the name derives - are larger and much more distinct on the underwings. The sexes are very similar, but males tend to be darker and have an even darker patch in the lower middle forewing which bears androconia.
Their flight is weaker than that of the meadow brown and gatekeeper. The wingspan is between 42 and 48mm for males; 46 to 52mm for females.
Where are they found ? (in Britain and Ireland)
All Britain and Ireland, absent north western Scotland.
What is their preferred habitat outside gardens?
Ringlets prefer habitats that are slightly damp and partially shaded such as woodland edges and rides, hedgerows and river edges. They also fly in damp grasslands but are not usually found in dry grasslands and heaths.
Resident or migrant?
Resident
When to see them?
These are butterflies of high summer and the adults are on the wing from the end of June until mid- August although the occasional individual may turn up slightly earlier or later. They are one of the few butterflies that will fly in dull, cloudy weather and even occasionally in rain.
What happens in winter?
They overwinter as long-lived caterpillars. There is only one brood each year and the new caterpillars start hatching out towards the end of July. They start hibernating in the autumn after their second moult although in mild weather they may emerge to feed. Hibernation usually ends around March or April when the caterpillars start feeding again. They then go through two more moults before starting to pupate in June.
What do the early stages look like?
Ringlet eggs are pale yellow turning darker with time, and they are dropped onto the bases of grass at random. The early caterpillars are about 2mm long and a pale olive-green. They soon change to a pale brown colour and by the final (5th) instar they are very bristly and around 20mm long with a chunky shape tapering off towards the rear end. They are nocturnal at all stages, hiding by day at the base of the grasses and emerging at night to climb the stems and feed. The pupa has a short stout form, hidden at the base of a grass tussock There are good pictures of the larval stages on the UK Butterflies website.
What do the caterpillars eat?
The caterpillars eat several species of native grasses, but primarily tussocky ones such as cock's-foot Dactylis glomerata, meadow-grasses Poa spp. and tufted hair-grass Deschampsia cespitosa. The non-native millet grass Milium effusum is also used.1.
Flowers they take nectar from
Adults mainly take nectar from brambles but common fleabane, hemp-agrimony, kidney vetch, ragworts, thistles, wild marjoram and wild privet are also used.2.
How are they doing?
Ringlet numbers have grown substantially since 1976 as their range has expanded northwards into Scotland but there may have been a slight decline in the past few years. The 2022 State of UK butterflies report shows a 361% increase in numbers whereas there was a rise of 381% in the 2015 report.3.
Other interesting facts
Despite its common name the ringlet is not a close relative of the mountain ringlet (the only true montane butterfly in the UK). The mountain ringlet and its true close relative – the Scotch argus – are both in the genus Erebia whereas the ringlet is in the genus Aphantopus and is the only European butterfly in this genus and may be a candidate for being reclassified based on its genome which has been recently sequenced.4.
References
1. Biological Records Centre database
2. UK butterflies website
3. State of UK Butterflies report
4. Mead, D. et al (2021) The genome sequence of the ringlet, Aphantopus hyperantus Linnaeus 1758. Wellcome Open Research https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/articles/6-165/v1.
Page written by Judy Skinner, reviewed and compiled by Steve Head
,
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
Family: Nymphalidae Subfamily: Satyrinae
Newly emerged male
Older male
Mating pair male left, female right
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
Family: Nymphalidae Subfamily: Satyrinae
Newly emerged male
Older male
Mating pair male left, female right
What do they look like?
Ringlets are a uniform dark brown, almost black, when they first emerge, although the colour fades as they age. The wings are fringed with white and have small black spots with white “pupils” surrounded by yellow or orange circles.
These rings – from which the name derives - are larger and much more distinct on the underwings. The sexes are very similar, but males tend to be darker and have an even darker patch in the lower middle forewing which bears androconia.
Their flight is weaker than that of the meadow brown and gatekeeper. The wingspan is between 42 and 48mm for males; 46 to 52mm for females.
Where are they found ? (in Britain and Ireland)
All Britain and Ireland, absent north western Scotland.
What is their preferred habitat outside gardens?
Ringlets prefer habitats that are slightly damp and partially shaded such as woodland edges and rides, hedgerows and river edges. They also fly in damp grasslands but are not usually found in dry grasslands and heaths.
Resident or migrant?
Resident
When to see them?
These are butterflies of high summer and the adults are on the wing from the end of June until mid- August although the occasional individual may turn up slightly earlier or later. They are one of the few butterflies that will fly in dull, cloudy weather and even occasionally in rain.
What happens in winter?
They overwinter as long-lived caterpillars. There is only one brood each year and the new caterpillars start hatching out towards the end of July. They start hibernating in the autumn after their second moult although in mild weather they may emerge to feed. Hibernation usually ends around March or April when the caterpillars start feeding again. They then go through two more moults before starting to pupate in June.
What do the early stages look like?
Ringlet eggs are pale yellow turning darker with time, and they are dropped onto the bases of grass at random. The early caterpillars are about 2mm long and a pale olive-green. They soon change to a pale brown colour and by the final (5th) instar they are very bristly and around 20mm long with a chunky shape tapering off towards the rear end. They are nocturnal at all stages, hiding by day at the base of the grasses and emerging at night to climb the stems and feed. The pupa has a short stout form, hidden at the base of a grass tussock There are good pictures of the larval stages on the UK Butterflies website.
What do the caterpillars eat?
The caterpillars eat several species of native grasses, but primarily tussocky ones such as cock's-foot Dactylis glomerata, meadow-grasses Poa spp. and tufted hair-grass Deschampsia cespitosa. The non-native millet grass Milium effusum is also used.1.
Flowers they take nectar from
Adults mainly take nectar from brambles but common fleabane, hemp-agrimony, kidney vetch, ragworts, thistles, wild marjoram and wild privet are also used.2.
How are they doing?
Ringlet numbers have grown substantially since 1976 as their range has expanded northwards into Scotland but there may have been a slight decline in the past few years. The 2022 State of UK butterflies report shows a 361% increase in numbers whereas there was a rise of 381% in the 2015 report.3.
Other interesting facts
Despite its common name the ringlet is not a close relative of the mountain ringlet (the only true montane butterfly in the UK). The mountain ringlet and its true close relative – the Scotch argus – are both in the genus Erebia whereas the ringlet is in the genus Aphantopus and is the only European butterfly in this genus and may be a candidate for being reclassified based on its genome which has been recently sequenced.4.
References
1. Biological Records Centre database
2. UK butterflies website
3. State of UK Butterflies report
4. Mead, D. et al (2021) The genome sequence of the ringlet, Aphantopus hyperantus Linnaeus 1758. Wellcome Open Research https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/articles/6-165/v1.
Page written by Judy Skinner, reviewed and compiled by Steve Head
,
Garden Wildlife
Garden Wildlife
