Mountain Ringlet vs Wheat Stem Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Mountain Ringlet Wheat Stem Sawfly
Scientific Name Erebia epiphron Cephus cinctus
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Nymphalidae Cephidae
Size 32-38 mm wingspan 8-13 mm (adult)
Habitat Mountains Deserts & Drylands
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Mountain ranges of Europe (Alps, Pyrenees, Scotland, Lake District) North America
Conservation Least Concern (vulnerable to climate change) Not Evaluated

Mountain Ringlet

A small dark brown butterfly with orange-ringed eyespots found only at high altitudes. In Britain it is the only truly alpine butterfly, flying above 500 metres.

💡

Did You Know?

It only flies in sunshine and immediately drops into the grass the moment a cloud covers the sun.

Wheat Stem Sawfly

A major pest of wheat and barley on the northern Great Plains of North America. Larvae bore inside stems, weakening them and causing lodging.

💡

Did You Know?

Larvae girdle the stem base before pupating, causing the stem to fall over at harvest.