www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Can't make up my mind about this one from N. Austria.

Anyone like to suggest an ID?

As you know David, I love my Erebia!

From the photo alone, my natural inclination is to say Water Ringlet (Erebia pronoe). The only other species I would consider might be Silky Ringlet (Erebia gorge). But this latter species tends to be seen on scree slopes, which is what the books say, and my three experiences with that species.

The fact the butterfly is on scabious also makes me think Water Ringlet. My two experiences with this species were both with it settled on that plant!

Do you have any information on month of year, altitude and specific habitat for when the photo was taken?

My immediate instinct is also pronoe, to a very high degree of probability. The violet hints are very lighting-dependent, and though there's nothing visible on the forewing they are detectable on the hindwing. If that is a normal-sized scabious flower, the butterfly is too big for gorge, and like Paul, I've never seen gorge even nectaring, let alone on scabious. In addition, the underside of gorge is rougher and more contrasting (in Switzerland, at least).

If I found that picture among my own collection, I would unhesitatingly assign it to pronoe.

Guy

Thanks Paul/Guy,

Water Ringlet crossed my mind too, but the ones I've seen in France have a fairly strong, silvery band on the unhs.

The other alternative was Marbled Ringlet, but given I've only ever seen one (and that was a few years ago), I wasn't confident enough to definitively rule it in or out.