Oeneis norna

Norse Grayling
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Oeneis
Species:	O. norna
Binomial name
Oeneis norna Thunberg (1791)
Subspecies
O. n. altaica (Elwes, 1899) O. n. tundra (A. Bang-Haas, 1912) O. n. radnaevi (Churkin, 1999) O. n. arethusoides (Lukhtanov, 1989) O. n. rosovi (Kurentzov, 1970) O. n. tshukota (Korshunov, 1998) O. n. asamana (Matsumura, 1919) O. n. sugitanii (Shirôzu, 1952) O. n. hilda (Quensel, 1791)

Common names

Norse Grayling

The Norse Grayling (Oeneis norna) is a butterfly, a species of Satyrinae that occurs throughout Scandinavia and northern Asia.

Description

It is extremely variable and the smaller, lighter O. norna often resemble O. bore.

Range and habitat

This species can be found in northern Norway, Sweden and Finland. In Russia it is seen in the Ural Mountains, Yamal Peninsula, Kola Peninsula and Siberia. It is also encountered in Japan. Within its range it lives in bogs, damp grassy areas and mossy forest clearings.

Life cycle

There is one flight a year between mid-June and July. It takes two seasonal cycles for the caterpillars to completely develop. Once the caterpillars hatch many will die without even attempting to eat.

Host plants

• Phleum pratense
• Poa alpina
• Carex sp.
• Nardus sp.

References

• Tolman, Tom. "Satyridae". Butterflies of Europe. pp. 204. ISBN 0-691-09074-2. 
• "Oeneis". http://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/nymphalidae/satyrinae/oeneis/index.html#norna. Retrieved 2008-12-12.