eyed brown

eyed brown

Satyrodes eurydice

       
Order

Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily

Papilionoidea (Butterflies [excluding skippers])

Family

Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)

Subfamily

Satyriinae (Satyrs and Wood-Nymphs)

Status

 

Flight/Season

One brood in July, rarely extending into August. It has been photographed in Minnesota as early as mid-June (6/19/2006).

Habitat

Sedge meadows, freshwater marshes

Size

 


Identification

The eyespots on the forewing of the eyed brown are of nearly equal intensity, though they are of increasing size from top to bottom. Seen from above the forewing has four eyespots: seen from below it has five. The hindwing has a basal line that veers sharply inward at the second vein from the top.


Larval Food

Sedge (Carex)

 
Adult Food

Mostly sap and bird droppings, but occasionally flower nectar


Life Cycle

 


Similar
Species

A light outer ring around each eyespot helps to distinguish the eyed brown and Appalachian brown (Satyrodes appalachia) from the northern pearly-eye (Enodia anthedon) and little wood-satyr (Megisto cymela).

In southern Minnesota (Freeborn, Faribault, and Watonwan counties) there is a dark variant called smokey eyed brown (Satyrodes eurydice fumosa). They are noticeably darker. Seen from above the forewing has five eyespots instead of four: seen from below it has six instead of five. The Nature Conservancy gives this variant a Global Rank of 3, “vulnerable to extirpation or extinction, 21–100 known occurrences.”

The Appalachian brown, a similar species, has forewing eyespots of unequal intensity. The hindwing has a straight basal line.


Range Range Map            
 
Sightings

 

Sedan Brook Prairie SNA

Comments

The eyed brown flies over and within low plant growth and perches frequently, making it a relatively easy subject to photograph and identify.


Images  
  eyed brown   eyed brown   eyed brown    

 

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