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Cercyonis oetus

(Small Wood Nymph)

Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Dark Wood Nymph, Small Wood Nymph

Description

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Family Nymphalidae

'The Nymphalidae are members of the Superfamily Papilionoidea, the true butterflies. Distributed worldwide, butterflies of this family are especially rich in the tropics. They are highly variable, and there are more species in this family than in any other. Adults vary in size from small to large, and their front legs are reduced, unable to be used for walking. Wing shape is also highly variable: some species have irregular margins (anglewings and commas), and others have long taillike projections (daggerwings). Browns, oranges, yellows, and blacks are frequent colors, while iridescent colors such as purples and blues are rare. Adults of some groups are the longest-lived butterflies, surviving 6-11 months. Adult feeding behavior depends on the species, where some groups primarily seek flower nectar while others only feed on sap flows , rotting fruit, dung, or animal carcasses. Males exhibit perching and patrolling behaviors when seeking mates. Egg-laying varies widely, as some species lay eggs in clustsers, others in columns, and others singly. Caterpillar appearance and behavior vary widely. Brushfoots overwinter as larvae or adults.

'[1]

Subfamily Satyrinae

The Satyrinae are medium-sized species of the Family Nymphalidae. Members of this worldwide group are most often brown with one or more marginal eyespots. Males often have visible patches of specialized scales on the fore- or hindwings . Adults have short proboscises and rarely visit flowers, feeding instead on rotting fruit, animal droppings, or sap flows . Nearly all species feed on grasses and grasslike plants , including bamboos , rushes, and sedges. Adults usually perch with their wings closed , but open them wide when basking early in the morning or during cloudy weather. Most species have local colonies and are not migratory. Males patrol when searching for mates, flying in characteristic slow, skipping flight. Eggs are laid singly on the host leaves or stems, and caterpillars feed within shelters of several leaves sewn together with silk . Development from egg to adult can take two years in arctic and alpine species, and it is synchronized in some species. In those species, adult butterflies are only found every other year. Satyrinae typically overwinter as partially grown caterpillars.[2]

Physical Description

Species Cercyonis oetus

Wings are light to very dark brown; wing fringes are checkered. Upperside of forewing usually has 1 eyespot in the male, 2 eyespots in the female; upper eyespot is larger. Underside of forewing of both sexes has lower eyespot smaller and nearer to the wing edge than the upper eyespot. (ref. 106063)

Color:

Wings are light to very dark brown; wing fringes are checkered. Upperside of forewing usually has 1 eyespot in the male, 2 eyespots in the female; upper eyespot is larger. Underside of forewing of both sexes has lower eyespot smaller and nearer to the wing edge than the upper eyespot.

Size/Age/Growth

Wing span : 1 1/4 - 1 3/4 inches (3.2 - 4.5 cm).

Habitat

Dry chaparral , sagebrush, grasslands, scrub , open woodland, meadows. Flies mostly in the western US in sagebrush habitats with lupines.

Biology

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Diet

Caterpillar hosts: Unknown grasses. Adult food: Flower nectar.

Reproduction

Males patrol all day for females, who deposit eggs singly on the host plant. First-stage caterpillars hibernate unfed until the following spring .

Behavior

Flight: One brood from June-August.

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Provisionally Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: Beccaloni G.

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Cercyonis

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 56 species and subspecies in this genus:

C. abbotti · C. alamosa · C. alope · C. ariane · C. baroni · C. behrii · C. boopis · C. borealis · C. carolina · C. charon · C. damei · C. gabbii · C. hoffmani · C. incana · C. maritima · C. masoni · C. meadi · C. meadii (Mead's Wood Nymph) · C. meadii alamosa (Alamosa Satyr) · C. meadii mexicana · C. melania · C. mexicana · C. nephele · C. ochracea · C. oetus (Small Wood Nymph) · C. oetus alkalorum (Small Wood-Nymph) · C. oetus oetus (Small Wood-Nymph) · C. oetus pallescens · C. okius · C. olympus · C. pallescens · C. paulus · C. pegala (Common Wood Nymph) · C. pegala alope (Blue-Eyed Grayling) · C. pegala ariane · C. pegala boopis (Ox-Eyed Satyr) · C. pegala carsonensis (Carson Valley Wood Nymph) · C. pegala gabbii (Gabb's Satyr) · C. pegala incana · C. pegala ino · C. pegala nephele (Dull-Eyed Grayling) · C. pegala pegala · C. pegala pluvialis (White River Wood Nymph) · C. pegala stephensi (Stephen's Satyr) · C. pegala utahensis · C. pegala walkerensis · C. pegala wheeleri (Wheeler's Satyr) · C. phocus · C. silvestris · C. sthenele (Great Basin Wood Nymph) · C. sthenele hypoleuca (Great Basin Wood Nymph) · C. sthenele paulus (Little Satyr) · C. sthenele sthenele (Great Basin Wood Nymph) · C. sthenele subsp. behrii (Great Basin Wood-Nymph) · C. texana · C. wheeleri

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 26, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/taxonomy?f=18&sci=Nymphalidae&com=Brush-footed Butterflies [back]
  2. http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Paramacera&search=Search [back]
Last Revised: 7/2/2009