Widely distributed in the mountains of Europe, this is a common, though often rather local, ringlet. In Switzerland, it is found on grassy, alpine slopes from about 1500m to 2500m, though it is said to fly as low as 1200m. It usually appears in mid-July - sometimes earlier - and females are still on the wing in September.

Females are unmistakable, with their large, yellowish (occasionally white, in f. bubastis) blotches on the underside hindwing, often fused into an irregular band. Males are less obviously distinctive, but actually easy to identify when you are familiar with them. They have more limited and regular, reddish spots on the underside hindwing, with the largest spot in s.4. These spots have a characteristic 'flame' tone - reddish with hints of yellow - and the underside in general is warm. The forewing upperside of both sexes typically has two blind apical ocelli (they never have pupils) set in a red band or semi-confluent red spots, narrowing as it goes south. There may be other point-like spots but these are never strong. The hindwing upperside usually has a reddish spot in s.4, with or without other small red spots below. The smaller and rarer eriphyle ringlet is similar to the male and also has a warm tone to the underside. This has a more obvious reddish flush on the forewing underside, extending to the base of the wing, and a neater, generally more complete row of less elongated spots on the underside hindwing.

In the Pyrenees, form constans flies. This is all dark on both surfaces of the wings, though I have seen females with hints of red and even with visible apical dots on the forewing, flying with pure black individuals. Another very dark form, pyrrhula, flies at altitude in the Alps. This is small and usually has reddish visible in the apical regions of the forewings.

Caterpillars of the yellow-spotted ringlet feed on red fescue and hibernate twice, the full cycle taking two seasons.