Hi folks:
I have noticed recently that there is a lot of confusion about entering ringlet observations. It is a quagmire, but a number of observers are entering North American sightings of what used to be the Common Ringlet as species Ypthima doleta. This is an African species. Have I got it right that all North American sightings should now be Coenonympha california or the California Ringlet? I know there are many subspecies but let’s at least get on the same page with the correct species.
As one of the confused, I find this guidance helpful.
Interesting to see this topic come up. I had recently added some observations which included 7 Common Ringlets. When I went in a couple days later, only to find my observations outlined in red with California Ringlet as the species. I disagrred with this and changed it, now waiting for ID confirmation.
Does C.california have precedence over C.tullia? Or if not what is the reason for renaming.? I can only think the name Common Ringlet seems the most practical for ease of ‘citizen science’ observations, no matter its specific and sub-specific gradations. If it is to be california, does this only apply to nearctic populations, and not to europe? I.e. the "Large Heath=Common Ringlet=tullia, or not?
This is another case in which a wide ranging species has been split due to genetics work (see citation below). Although it was previously been considered a subspecies of C. tullia, it is now elevated to species. C. tullia does remain in AK and Yukon, but the rest of North America is C. california and it has the English common name of California Ringlet. The name Common Ringlet already exists in the world for Ypthima doleta and California Ringlet was already the name for C tullia california, so when it changed to full species, C. california, most changed English name to California Ringlet.
Here is the nomenclature as presented by Butterflies of Americas (the authority list)
Coenonympha california Westwood, 1851 Common Ringlet ref.11 iN
Coenonympha california nipisiquit McDunnough, 1939 salt marshes in NB & QC (Canada). Layberry et al. (1998), Webster (1999), and Sei … M T S
Coenonympha california mcisaaci dos Passos, 1935 TL: Canada (NL) M T S
Coenonympha california inornata W. H. Edwards, 1861 TL: Canada (MB) M T S L Ha
Coenonympha california benjamini McDunnough, 1928 TL: Canada (AB) M S L Ha
Coenonympha california mackenziei D. Davenport, 1936 TL: Canada (NT) M T S
Coenonympha california insulana McDunnough, 1928 TL: Canada (BC) M S L
Coenonympha california yontocket Porter & Mattoon, 1989 TL: USA (Ca) M T1 T2 S
Coenonympha california eryngii H. Edwards, 1877 TL: USA (Ca) M T S L Ha
Coenonympha california california Westwood, 1851 TL: USA (Ca) M T S L1 L2 I Ha
Coenonympha california columbiana McDunnough, 1928 TL: Canada (BC) M S L
Coenonympha california eunomia (Dornfeld, 1967) TL: USA (Or) M T S L Ha
Coenonympha california ampelos W. H. Edwards, 1871 TL: USA (Ca/Or) M T S1 S2 L I Ha
Coenonympha california mono Burdick, 1942 TL: USA (Ca) M S L
Coenonympha california elko W. H. Edwards, 1881 TL: USA (Nv) M S1 S2
Coenonympha california ochracea W. H. Edwards, 1861 TL: USA ([Co]) M T S L Ha
Coenonympha california pseudobrenda Austin & R. Gray, 1998 TL: USA (Nv) M S1 S2 L
Coenonympha california furcae W. Barnes & Benjamin, 1926 TL: USA (Az) M T S
Coenonympha california subfusca W. Barnes & Benjamin, 1926 TL: USA (Az) M T S L Ha
Literature Cited:
Zhang, Jing; Cong, Qian; Opler, Paul A.; Grishin, Nick V. (6 November 2020). “Genomic evidence suggests further changes of butterfly names” (PDF). The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey . 8 (7). eISSN 2643-4806
For e-butterfly observations, California Ringlet is the common name for North American Ringlets in the observation dropdown select menu. Others such as Inaturalist, have retained the Common Ringlet usage and added C. california to the dropdown list presented. I submitted a “Help ticket” on this and heard back that the team will discuss.
Indeed, we are discussing this and many other Taxonomic conundrums quite closely. @kmcfarland can give you a lot more information on how that is going (he is the expert 
)
Okay, by popular demand… I just made C. california to be Common Ringlet (North America) and to keep from people accidentally using Ypthima doleta, which is also called Common Ringlet, I made it Common Ringlet (Africa). This was happending quite a bit.
Question, what has happened to my posted observations. They are gone for the Common Ringlet.
You had them all in there as the old name C. tullia which is now just called Large Heath and is from Europe and Asia. I just gave ID to all of them that I found as the North American name, C. california.
I noticed the Large Heath. But now I’m confused. Is the name amateurs like me are to use Large Heath or Common Ringlet (North America) or California Ringlet? The good news for me is that I have only seen them a couple of times and don’t live out west.
Also, one more aside. You answer my questions quickly. Thank you !!
Sorry about this. There have been a lot of changes in butterfly taxonomy lately and this is one of them. It use to be until quite recently that it was one species, but now we have our ringlet here in North America and there is another seperate one in Europe. THe one in Europe is called the Large Heath. Some call ours California Ringlet now, but many (most) prefer our name Common Ringlet. So there is less confusion, I made the name Common Ringlet (North America) because there are other places in world that use that common English name for an entirely different species. So for the sightings you have, I IDed them with the new name - Common Ringlet (North America). You can just go to them and agree with my IDs. Here are your 3 observations: https://www.e-butterfly.org/ebapp/en/observations/explore?species=Coenonympha+california&observer=billtebird&view=species&subview=grid&limit=20. I hope that helps.
One of the GREAT things about e-butterfly is these tax. changes. Y’all just do it !! That’s great because then we don’t have to worry about updating our records !! Thanks
Is there evidence that C. Pamphillus (aka the Small Heath) has been introduced to the americas? To my eye it would be hard to distinguish from california, and it favours similar habitat.
None that I know of in genetic literature.
Hi Kent: Thanks for the ringlet help. I have literally hundreds of C. tullia records in eButterfly that should be changed to C. california. Among them are three legitimate C. tullia (2 from Yukon and 1 from France). Is there a quick way to change the hundreds to C. california?
Peter
We will do a taxon swap based on location in the near future. So no worries. We collect a bunch of taxon changes that need to be made geographically, then we write code to do that in the backend (tested first of course). So this is all an automated change that will happen and we will announce it.
