North American Ecology (US and Canada)
provided by North American Butterfly Knowledge Network
Meominois ridingsii is resident in the western/central United States and south western Canada (Scott 1986). Habitats are prairie, open woodland, and sagebrush. Host plant is the grass species Bouteloua gracilis. Eggs are laid on the host plant or other plants and shrubs singly. Individuals overwinter as third and fourth instar larvae. There is one flight each year with the approximate flight time June 1- early July at low altitude, July 15-early Aug. at high altitude (Scott 1986).
Behavior
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Adults feed rarely, mostly on nectar of yellow composites. Males perch for females (Scott, 1986).
Conservation Status
provided by University of Alberta Museums
Restricted Canadian range; Ranked "Sensitive" in Alberta, possibly extirpated in Manitoba.
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Cyclicity
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The singly yearly brood flies from mid June to early July.
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Distribution
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Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan south to New Mexico (Scott 1986). Previously also occurred in Manitoba, where it appears to be extirpated (Layberry et al. 1998).
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General Description
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"Sandy, greyish-brown with a broad, irregular tan-white submarginal band. Two forewing eyespots. The underside is most similar to Oeneis alberta, but the contrasty, grey-brown and white upperside of ridingsii is unique.
Subspecies minimus occurs in Alberta."
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Habitat
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Dry, sparsely vegetated prairie grasslands.
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Life Cycle
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Unknown in Alberta. Larvae are light brown with a number of darker and lighter longitudinal lines and have two short 'tails' (Scott 1986). Adults do not stray far from their natal grounds, and live 5-11 days on average depending on weather conditions (Scott 1986). Males perch in the morning on small hilltops to await passing females. The short, rapid flight caused Scott (1986) to call this the Grasshopper Satyr.
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Trophic Strategy
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Unknown in Alberta. Blue Grama Grass (Bouteloa gracilis) is a host in the US. Adults occasionally nectar at yellow composites (Scott 1986).
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Neominois ridingsii
provided by wikipedia EN
Neominois ridingsii, or Ridings' satyr,[2] is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found from southern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba south to the Guadalupe and Catron counties of New Mexico, and west to the central Sierra Nevada of California and central Oregon.[3] The habitat consists of short-grass prairie, intermountain areas and grasslands with some areas of bare soil.
The wingspan is 38–56 mm. The upperside is gray with cream-colored patches across both wings. The forewing has two black spots. The underside is similar but lighter. Adults are on wing from June to July in one generation per year.[4] Adults seldom feed, but if they do, they favor nectar of yellow composites.
The larvae feed on Bouteloua gracilis. Third- and fourth-instar larvae overwinter.
Subspecies
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Neominois ridingsii ridingsii (Colorado)
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Neominois ridingsii coloalbiterra Garhart & M. Fisher, 2008 (Colorado: Roan Cliffs)
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Neominois ridingsii curicata M. Fisher, Scott & Garhart, 2008 (Colorado: upper Gunnison River Valley)
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Neominois ridingsii minimus Austin, 1986 (southern Alberta east to south-western Manitoba, northern Montana and western North Dakota)
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Neominois ridingsii neomexicanus Austin, 1986 (south-central Arizona, New Mexico)
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Neominois ridingsii pallidus Austin, 1986 (Sierra Nevada in California and Nevada, from northern to central Oregon)
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Neominois ridingsii stretchii (W.H. Edwards, 1870) (western Wyoming to western Colorado and from Washington to south-eastern Oregon Nevada and northern Arizona)
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Neominois ridingsii wyomingo (Scott, 1998) (northern Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Utah)
References
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Neominois ridingsii: Brief Summary
provided by wikipedia EN
Neominois ridingsii, or Ridings' satyr, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found from southern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba south to the Guadalupe and Catron counties of New Mexico, and west to the central Sierra Nevada of California and central Oregon. The habitat consists of short-grass prairie, intermountain areas and grasslands with some areas of bare soil.
The wingspan is 38–56 mm. The upperside is gray with cream-colored patches across both wings. The forewing has two black spots. The underside is similar but lighter. Adults are on wing from June to July in one generation per year. Adults seldom feed, but if they do, they favor nectar of yellow composites.
The larvae feed on Bouteloua gracilis. Third- and fourth-instar larvae overwinter.
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