Oeneis uhleri

Oeneis uhleri, or Uhler's Arctic, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in north-eastern Alaska, Yukon and the western Northwest Territories and from central Alberta south through the Rocky Mountains to northern New Mexico and east through the Canadian prairie provinces to western Minnesota. The habitat consists of slopes in dry, open bunch grass areas, as well as tundra and openings in pine forests.

Oeneis uhleri
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Oeneis
Species:	O. uhleri
Binomial name
Oeneis uhleri (Reakirt, 1866)[1]
Synonyms
Chionobas uhleri Reakirt, 1866 Oeneis obscura Edwards, 1892 Chionobas varuna Edwards, 1882 Oeneis dennisi Gunder, 1927 Oeneis nahanni Dyar, 1904

The wingspan is 38–56 mm. The upperside is dull orange brown with dark veins. The underside of the hindwings has a dark basal half and a lighter outer half. Both wings have one to many small submarginal spots. Adults are on wing from early June to early July in one generation per year.[2]

The larvae feed on various grasses and sedges, including Festuca, Koeleria and Poa species.[3] Fourth-instar larvae overwinter and emerge in spring. Pupation takes place under the soil.

Subspecies

• Oeneis uhleri uhleri (Colorado: eastern slope)
• Oeneis uhleri cairnesi Gibson, 1920 (Yukon, north-western Northwest Territories, north-eastern Alaska)
• Oeneis uhleri nahanni Dyar, 1904 (Northwest Territories: Mackenzie Mountains)
• Oeneis uhleri reinthali Brown, 1953 (Colorado: western slope)
• Oeneis uhleri varuna (Edwards, 1882) (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, western Minnesota)

References

1. "Oeneis Hübner, [1819]" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
2. Butterflies and Moths of North America
3. "Species Details: Oeneis uhleri varuna". University of Alberta Museums. E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum. Retrieved December 26, 2020.