Little Wood Satyr - Megisto cymela

Moved

Moved from Butterflies (excluding skippers). Thanks David! Thanks lepman!

… Ted Kropiewnicki, 21 July, 2009 - 8:24pm

It's a Little Wood Satyr

Megisto cymela with the eye spots more fully developed than usual. The dark eyes (when alive) and the rather smooth nearly straight dark lines across the wings are good clues. The eyes of living specimens of Euptychia and most other Satyrs are light (gray in carolina Satyr) with vertical dark stripes. Also, Carolina Satyr (and relatives) have a zig-zag line bordering the outside of the eye spots, not evenly curving around the margin as in this one.

… David J. Ferguson, 21 July, 2009 - 5:32pm

Little Wood Satyr

I've never seen a Little Wood Satyr with that many large eyespots. Is this form uncommon? Thanks for the correction.

… lepman, 21 July, 2009 - 8:19pm

to be honest

I've never seen one that extreme either! At first glance I was wondering if you had some tropical stray.

… David J. Ferguson, 28 July, 2009 - 6:30pm

Closest match

I can find is Carolina Satyr (Hermeuptychia sosybius) although your specimen has mostly large eyespots and all the Carolina Satyrs I have seen have mostly small eyespots. You didn't by chance get a glimpse of the specimen with its wings open. Carolina Satyr has no eyespots dorsally. Perhaps this is just a variation. This species is probably expanding its range northward. If it is Carolina Satyr you likely have a state record.

… lepman, 20 July, 2009 - 12:00am

Thanks lepman!

I saw it about 12 feet above and I snapped one shot. The flash startled it and he/she was gone before I could get another chance.

… Ted Kropiewnicki, 20 July, 2009 - 12:29am