Butterflies of the Adirondacks:
Common Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia)

Adirondack Butterflies: Common Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia) on the John Brown Farm Trails (21 June 2018).
Butterflies of the Adirondacks: Look for Common Ringlets bouncing through the grass in meadows and woodland edges, stopping frequently to feed on flower nectar. Common Ringlet on the Potato Field Loop at John Brown Farm (21 June 2018).

The Common Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia) is an orange and brown butterfly that may be seen in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York from early to late summer.

The Common Ringlet is a member of the Nymphalidae family. This family (also known as brush-footed butterflies because the forelegs are small and hairy) is the largest family of butterflies and includes over 6,000 species throughout the world. Other members of this family found in the Adirondack region include White Admiral, Red Admiral, Atlantis Fritillary, Aphrodite Fritillary, Great Spangled Fritillary, Silver-bordered Fritillary, and Northern Crescent.

The Common Ringlet is a Satyr; it is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae (Satyrs and Wood-Nymphs). This subfamily includes about 50 species in North America. [1] The Satyrs are medium-sized butterflies, often brown with one or more eye spots; they which usually perch with their wings closed. [2] Other Satyrs found in the Adirondack Park include the Common Wood-Nymph, Eyed Brown, and Northern Pearly-eye.

Some sources, including iNaturalist, refer to this species as Coenonympha california, referencing a November 2020 study recommending this change based on genomic sequencing of butterflies. This change has yet to be adopted by Butterflies and Moths of North America or the Integrated Taxonomic Information System.

Common Ringlet: Identification

Adirondack Butterflies: Common Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia) on the Old Orchard Loop at Heaven Hill (8 July 2018).
Butterflies of the Adirondacks: Common Ringlets are grayish brown with orange on the under side of the fore wing. Common Ringlet on the Old Orchard Loop at Heaven Hill (8 July 2018).

The appearance of this butterfly is extremely variable geographically. [3] [4] It is highly variable in both color and the number of eye spots, between and within subspecies and even within local populations. [5] [6] Up to 20 subspecies are recognized in North America. [7] [8]

The ringlets in our area (and in eastern Canada) are generally darker than those in the west; [9] they are usually a grayish brown with orange on the under side of the fore wing. [10] The hind wings are usually darker than the basal part of the fore wings. [11] The under side of the fore wing usually has a small eye spot. [12] [13] [14] The wing span is 1⅓ to 1½ inches. [15] [16]

Common Ringlet: Life History

Adult ringlets feed on flower nectar. These insects bounce through the grass, stopping frequently to nectar. [17] Male ringlets patrol above the tops of grasses to seek females. [18]

The larvae of Common Ringlets are green, olive or brown. [19] [20] Caterpillars hibernate in thick mats of dead grass. [21] [22] [23] Caterpillar hosts include grasses and rushes. [24] [25] [26]

Common Ringlet: Habitat and Range

Butterflies of the Adirondacks: Common Ringlets are found in grassy habitats, including meadows, fields, woodland edges, and roadsides. Common Ringlet at the Cascade Welcome Center, Essex County, NY (20 August 2022).

Common Ringlets make their homes in a wide variety of grassy habitats, including fields, meadows, grasslands, roadsides, woodland edges and clearings, prairies, freshwater swamps, bogs, and tundra. [27] [28] [29]

Common Ringlets range throughout northern Europe and Asia. [30] They have extended their range significantly over the last few decades. [31] Their range now extends from coast to coast in Canada and the northern US. [32] [33] This butterfly is widespread and common in the west and north. [34] In the US, the Common Ringlet's range includes New England and the Adirondacks. [35]

Common Ringlet: Flight

The flight period for the Common Ringlet throughout its range is from May to July in the north and from May to September in the mid-latitudes. [36] [37] This species usually has one flight, with a partial second brood in the southern parts of its range. [38] [39]

The Common Ringlet's flight period in the Adirondack Park has not been established, but probably extends from mid-June through mid-September.

  • This butterfly has been a fairly frequent guest in the Paul Smiths VIC Native Species Butterfly House in early summer. In 2012, The Common Ringlet was recorded as present from the day of the Butterfly House opening (9 June) to 22 June. [40] In 2013, Common Ringlets were present in the Butterfly House in the latter part of June. [41]
  • In 2018, Common Ringlets were present in the meadow on the Potato Loop Trail at the John Brown Farm Trails in June, July, and mid-August. In 2019, Common Ringlets were flying at the John Brown Farm Trails in late August.
  • Confirmed sightings reported for Adirondack Park counties in BAMONA suggest that Common Ringlets were on the wing in most years in late June through early September. [42]
  • Observations reported on iNaturalist for most years range from mid-June through mid-September. [43]

References

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