The so called Bulgarian Ringlet was described in 1900 based on material collected in July 1899 by two of the first explorers of the Bulgarian butterfly fauna, Mary de la B. Nicholl and Henry John Elwes, during their expedition to the Rila Mountains (Elwes, 1900: 199). It was initially ranked as a subspecies of
Erebia epiphron (Knoch, 1783) and treated as such (Warren, 1936: 113) until 1977 when Arnscheid & Roos (1977: 110) elevated its taxonomic status to species level. Subsequently Higgins & Riley (1984: 279) and D’Abrera (1990: 158) again associated it with
epiphron, while Abadjiev (1993: 50), Tolman & Lewington (1997: 215) and Jaksic (1998: 14) treated it as a distinct species.
Erebia orientalis is a polytypic species. In addition to the nominate
orientalis from Rila another subspecies
infernalis Varga, 1971 (type locality: Vihren: 2300—2400 m [UTM grid reference 34TGM02]) occurs in the nearest Pirin Mts. The colonies of the species occupying higher parts of Stara Planina also differ morphologically, subspecies
macrophthalma Varga, 1999 (type locality: SW side of Botev Peak, (above Ray Chalet), 1700—1900 m [UTM grid reference 35TLH23]). All three groups of populations are well separated geographically. The male genitalia of the nominate subspecies are illustrated by Warren (1936: Pl. 28: Fig. 277) and those of the Stara Planina populations by Abadjiev (1995: 134: Fig. 20) and Jaksic (1998: 94: Fig. 75: 6). The main part of the species range lies inside the Bulgarian territory and the common name introduced by Tolman & Lewington (1997: 215) looked to be somewhat satisfactory (concerning it as a Bulgarian endemic), but very recently it was found also in Yugoslavia (Parker & Jaksic, 1996: 95, 96).
Type locality and type material
The exact position of the type locality in the Rila Mts was never mentioned by the author (cf Elwes, 1900: 199—200). Fortunately Nicholl’s paper (Nicholl, 1900: 66—67), written like a diary, helped to clear this situation:
‘On the 10th [July 1899]... we started for the Marica valley... Next day [11 July 1899]... we proceeded up the valley... till we reached the a beautiful open basin... This basin was decidedly moist, if not actually boggy... July 12th [1899] was... but we resolved stay where we were...’
Comparing the above citation with data label (lectotype labels below) and modern maps the exact locality should be fixed as Rila Mts: Maritsa Valley: 6000 ft [about 1969 m; just above the fusion of Tiha Maritsa and Prava Maritsa rivers] [UTM grid reference 34TGM17].
A lectotype of
Erebia orientalis was designated and illustrated in black and white by Warren (1936: 113, Pl. 68: Figs. 798, 799 [upperside], 806 [underside]). Later it was depicted in colour by Abadjiev (1995: Pl. XXXI: Figs 6—8).
Lectotype male, in BMNH London, with labels:
— (1) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘Rilo Dagh, | S. W. Bulgaria. | 6000 ft. 12.7.99. | H. J. Elwes.’; (2) printed (on white paper) ‘Elwes Coll. | 1902-85’; (3) printed (on white paper) ‘Photographed | for B. C. S. Warren.’; (4) printed (on white paper) ‘Illustrated in | Abadjiev, S. 1995 | Butterflies of Bulgaria | Vol. 3: Pl. XXXI: Figs 6-8’; (5) handwritten (on white paper) ‘orientalis, | Elw. Type female’; (6) circle printed (on white paper with red frame) ‘Type’; (7) circle printed (on white paper with blue frame) ‘Syn- | type’; (8) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘B.M. TYPE | No.Rh. 6279 | E. epiphron | orientalis, | female Elwes.’; (9) printed (on white paper) ‘SYNTYPE | Erebia epiphron | var. orientalis | Elwes. | det. P. Ackery, 1991.’; (10) printed (on red paper), double framed ‘LECTOTYPE female | Erebia orientalis Elwes, 1900 | Erebia epiphron, var. orientalis, | n. var. Elwes, H. J., 1900 | (On the Butterflies of Bulgaria. — | Trans. ent. Soc. London 48 (2): 199 | [line] | label attachment S. Abadjiev 2000’.
Paralectotypes 6 males, 3 females with labels:
[1] (1) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘Rilo Dagh, | S. W. Bulgaria. | 6000 ft. 12.7.99. | H. J. Elwes.’; (2) printed (on white paper) ‘Elwes Coll. | 1902-85’; (3) printed (on white paper) ‘Illustrated in | Abadjiev, S. 1995 | Butterflies of Bulgaria | Vol. 3: Pl. XXXI: Figs 4, 5’; (4) handwritten (on white paper) ‘orientalis, | Elw. Type male’; (5) circle printed (on white paper with red frame) ‘Type’; (6) circle printed (on white paper with blue frame) ‘SYN- | TYPE’; (7) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘B.M. TYPE | No.Rh. 6278 | E. epiphron | orientalis, | male Elwes.’;
[2] (1) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘Rilo Dagh, | S. W. Bulgaria. | 6000 ft. 12.7.99. | H. J. Elwes.’; (2) printed (on white paper) ‘Elwes Coll. | 1902-85’; (3) circle printed (on white paper with yellow frame) ‘Co- | type’; (4) circle printed (on white paper with blue frame) ‘SYN- | TYPE’; (5) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘B.M. TYPE | No.Rh. 6280 | E. epiphron | orientalis, | male Elwes.’;
[3] (1) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘Rilo Dagh, | S. W. Bulgaria. | 6000 ft. 12.7..99. | H. J. Elwes.’; (2) printed (on white paper) ‘Elwes Coll. | 1902-85’; (3) printed (on white paper) ‘Photographed | for B. C. S. Warren.’; (4) printed (on white paper) ‘Illustrated in | Abadjiev, S. 1995 | Butterflies of Bulgaria | Vol. 3: Pl. XXXI: Figs 1—3’; (5) circle printed (on white paper with yellow frame) ‘Co- | type’; (6) circle printed (on white paper with blue frame) ‘SYN- | TYPE’; (7) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘B.M. TYPE | No.Rh. 6281 | E. epiphron | orientalis, | male Elwes’;
[4] (1) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘Rilo Dagh, | S. W. Bulgaria. | 6000 ft. 12.7.99. | H. J. Elwes.’; (2) printed (on white paper) ‘Elwes Coll. | 1902-85’; (3) circle printed (on white paper with yellow frame) ‘Co- | type’; (4) circle printed (on white paper with blue frame) ‘SYN- | TYPE’; (5) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘B.M. TYPE | No.Rh. 6282 | E. epiphron | orientalis, | male Elwes’;
[5] (1) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘Elwes Coll. | 1902-85 | Rilo Dagh | 6500 | July 1900’; (2) circle printed (on white paper with yellow frame) ‘Co- | type’; (3) circle printed (on white paper with blue frame) ‘SYN- | TYPE’; (4) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘B.M. TYPE | No.Rh. 6283 | E. epiphron | orientalis, | male Elwes.’;
[6] (1) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘S W Bulgaria. | M. de la B. Nicholl. | 1900-53 | Ayrandere Valley. | 7000 ft.’; (2) circle printed (on white paper with yellow frame) ‘Co- | type’; (3) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘B.M. TYPE | No.Rh. 6284 | E. epiphron | orientalis, | male Elwes.’;
[7] (1) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘Rilo Dagh, | S. W. Bulgaria. | 6000 ft. 12.7.99. | H. J. Elwes.’; (2) printed (on white paper) ‘Elwes Coll. | 1902-85’; (3) circle printed (on white paper with yellow frame) ‘Co- | type’; (4) circle printed (on white paper with blue frame) ‘SYN- | TYPE’; (5) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘B.M. TYPE | No.Rh. 6285 | E. epiphron | orientalis, | female Elwes’;
[8] (1) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘Rilo Dagh, | S. W. Bulgaria. | 6000 ft. 12.7.99. | H. J. Elwes.’; (2) printed (on white paper) ‘Elwes Coll. | 1902-85’; (3) printed (on white paper) ‘Illustrated in | Abadjiev, S. 1995 | Butterflies of Bulgaria | Vol. 3: Pl. XXXI: Figs 9, 10’; (4) circle printed (on white paper with yellow frame) ‘Co- | type’; (5) circle printed (on white paper with blue frame) ‘Syn- | type’; (6) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘B.M. TYPE | No.Rh. 6286 | E. epiphron | orientalis, | female Elwes’;
[9] (1) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘Bulgaria. | M. de la B. Nicholl. | 1900-53 | Marica. | 6500 ft. | 10:VI 99’ [The month in the date written here (10 June 1899) is apparently erroneous. It must be July. On 10 June 1899 Mrs Nicholl collected down in the valley of Rilska Reka (cf Nicholl, 1900: 33)]; (2) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘Received as | Erebia epiphron, | Knoch. | from Mrs. Nicholl., | F. A. H.’; (3) printed (on white paper) ‘female’ (4) circle printed (on white paper with yellow frame) ‘Co- | type’; (5) printed with handwritten inscriptions [here italicised] (on white paper) ‘B.M. TYPE | No.Rh. 6287 | E. epiphron | orientalis, | female Elwes.’;
paralectotypes 1—5, 7 with printed (on white paper) ‘SYNTYPE | Erebia epiphron | var. orientalis | Elwes. | det. P. Ackery, 1991.’; 6 and 9 with handwritten (on white paper) ‘Erebia rhodopensis | Nicholl? Original | description not | traced.’; all the 9 paralectotypes with printed (on red paper), double framed ‘PARALECTOTYPE male [female respectively] | Erebia orientalis Elwes, 1900 | Erebia epiphron, var. orientalis, | n. var. Elwes, H. J., 1900 | (On the Butterflies of Bulgaria. — | Trans. ent. Soc. London 48 (2): 199 | [line] | label attachment S. Abadjiev 2000’.
REFERENCES
Abadjiev, S. (1993): Butterflies of Bulgaria, Part 2, Nymphalidae: Libytheinae & Satyrinae. Veren Publishers, Sofia, 127 pp.
Abadjiev, S. (1995): Butterflies of Bulgaria, Volume 3, Nymphalidae: Apaturinae & Nymphalinae. Published by the author, Sofia, 159 pp.
Arnscheid, W. & P. Roos (1977): Spezifität von
Erebia orientalis Elwes, 1900. Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Erebien VI. (Lep., Satyridae). — Atalanta 8 (2): 110—112.
D’Abrera, B. (1990): Butterflies of the Holarctic region, Part 1 (Papilionidae, Pieridae, Danaidae, Satyridae (partim). Hill House, Victoria: 1—185.
Elwes, H. J. (1900): On the Butterflies of Bulgaria. — Trans. ent. Soc. London 48 (2): 183—206.
Higgins, L. G. & N. D. Riley (1984): A field guide to the butterflies of Britain and Europe. (Fifth edition, revised). Collins, London. 384 pp.
Jaksic, P. (1998): Male genitalia of butterflies on Balkan Peninsula with a check-list. Lepidoptera: Hesperioidea and Papilionoidea. F. Slamka, Bratislava. 144 pp.
Nicholl, M. de la B. (1900): Bulgarian Butterflies. — Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 12: 29—34, 64—69.
Parker, R. & P. Jaksic (1996): The butterflies of Stara Planina (Serbia) with emphasis on
M. jurtina Linnaeus. — Br. J. Ent. nat. Hist. 9: 93—101.
Tolman, T. & R. Lewington (1997): Butterflies of Britain & Europe. Harper Collins, London — Glasgow — New York — Sydney — Auckland — Toronto — Johannesburg. 320 pp., A, B+104 Pls.
Varga, Z. (1971): Die Erebien (Lep.: Satyridae) der Balkanhalbinsel und der Karpaten II. Die Verbreitung und subspezifische Gliederung von
Erebia epiphron Knoch, 1793 mit Beschreibung einer neuen Unterart:
E. epiphron infernalis ssp. nova. — Acta biologica Debrecina 9: 221—226.
Varga, Z. (1999): Die Erebien der Balkanhalbinsel und Karpaten IV. Übersicht der subspezifischen Gliederung und der Verbreitung der
Erebia-Arten in der Balkanhalbinsel und in den Karpaten (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae). — Entomol. rom. 3: 15—28.
Warren, B. C. S. (1936): Monograph of the genus
Erebia. British Museum (Natural History), London. vii + 407 pp.; 104 Pls.
