Red-disked Alpine (Erebia discoidalis [Kirby])
Wing span: 1 1/2 - 1 15/16 inches (3.8 - 4.9 cm).
Identification: Wings are brownish black and lack eyespots. Forewing has a large chestnut red patch both above and below. Underside of hindwing is mottled gray and brown.
Life history: Adults fly slowly near the ground. Males patrol for females with a weak flight. Fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate; probably biennial.
Flight: One brood from early May to mid-June.
Caterpillar hosts: Bluegrasses (Poa species).
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Large, open, grassy bogs; other areas with acidic soils.
Range: Holarctic. North America from Alaska south and east to southern Alberta, northern Montana, northern Wisconsin, northern Michigan, and southern Quebec.
