Summary ⁴

The Large Heath or Common Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia) is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It flies in a variety of grassy habitats, including roadsides, woodland edges and clearings, prairies, bogs, and arctic and alpine taiga and tundra. It is a poor flyer, but can sometimes be found along ditches seeking new grounds. It is a holarctic species found in northern Europe and Asia and across North America.

General description ⁵

Our smallest satyrine. The unmarked clay-ochre upperside is unique; the underside is tan-grey (ochre forewing base), with a whitish, irregular median line, and often an apical forewing spot, occasionally with remnants of one or two (rarely more) hindwing marginal spots. The ground colour and development of the eyespots is variable. Females are paler overall, and ocasionally have a dark apical forewing spot on the upperside. Many names have been applied to the western North American ringlets over the years (eg. C. california, inornata and ochracea), a reflection of the fact that it is unclear just how many species are found here, and whether or not any are the same species as the European tullia. There is currently no convincing evidence for any particular interpretation.  Based on differences in ecology and appearance, there appear to be at least two distinct entities in Alberta, one inhabiting far northern boreal fens and grasslands of the Peace-Athabasca delta region (ssp. mackenziei), and the widespread ssp. benjamini.

Distribution ⁶

As defined here, tullia ranges throughout much of the northern hemisphere, from Scandinavia to AK, south to CA and NM, east to Nfld. (Scott 1986).

Habitat ⁷

Any grassy, open habitats, although absent from much of the boreal forest.

Migration ⁸

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Behaviour ⁹

Adults feed on flower nectar. Males patrol for females (Scott, 1986).

Conservation status ¹⁰

Subspecies benjamini is not of concern. The status of mackenziei is not known.

Threats ¹¹

Huge losses of suitable habitat have occurred throughout Europe as a result of large-scale drainage works, commercial forestry plantations and peat extraction. Inappropriate habitat management, such as overgrazing, may be degrading once suitable habitat and causing losses (3).

Taxonomy ¹²

Comments: While Pohl et al. (2010) cite Kodandaramaiah and Wahlberg (2009) as the basis for separating North American taxa of this group as C. inornata, the latter authors very explicitly "refrain from making any taxonomic changes to the North American 'tullia' in this study" pending evaluation of more samples from there. Thus the taxonomy of Pelham (2008) is followed. Either way, the subspecies circumscriptions would remain the same.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Beatrice LaPorte, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://butterfliesofamerica.com/images/Nymphalidae/Satyrinae/coenonympha_tullia_inornata/Coenonympha_tullia_inornata_CANADA_ONTARIO_Merrickville_Limerick_Forest_16-VI-2011_LAPORTE.JPG
2. (c) Bill Bouton, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://butterfliesofamerica.com/images/Nymphalidae/Satyrinae/Coenonympha_tullia_california/Coenonympha_tullia_california_Lopez_Cyn_6-III-03_2_30.jpg
3. (c) Jeffrey Pippen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://butterfliesofamerica.com/images/Nymphalidae/Satyrinae/coenonympha_tullia_inornata/Coenonympha_tullia_inornata_Mer_Bleue_Bog_Ontario_07-VIII-05_2.jpg
4. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coenonympha_tullia
5. (c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31887139
6. (c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31887138
7. (c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31887140
8. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28797649
9. (c) Leslie Ries, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/20605306
10. (c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31887136
11. (c) Wildscreen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/6693241
12. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28797643

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• BugGuide
• Butterflies and Moths of North America
• CalPhotos
• CUIC Insect Images
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• Lepiforum
• Mass Moths
• Moth Photographers Group
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• NBN Atlas
• Pacific Northwest Moths
• UK Moths

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