Species Hermeuptychia sosybius - Carolina Satyr - Hodges#4575

4575

Has been treated as part of the tropical American species Hermeuptychia hermes (Fabricius), by some authors.

wingspan 32-38 mm

Adult: While still alive, eyes gray with vertical stripes. Wings dull brown with no eyespots on upperside. Underside of wings have a dark dash in the middle of each wing (may be faint), and a series of yellow-rimmed eyespots along the edge, with darkened ones not more than twice as large as lighter ones; only one eyespot on underside of forewing is darker and usually larger than the other spots; on hind wing usually at least one (an upper one) touches marginal dark lines, and innermost marginal dark line may be somewhat zig-zag.

In Little Wood Satyr - Megisto cymela, when still alive eyes are black. Upper side of wings with dark eyespots. Underside with dark dash in middle of wings most often missing; dark eyespots often more than twice as large as lighter ones (which may be deformed); front wing with two or more eyespots enlarged and dark (lower one(s) may be hidden from view); hind wing usually with no eyespots touching innermost marginal dark line, which is not zig-zag (if an eyespot does touch, it is usually a lower one).

See also Identification under Intricate Satyr (Hermeuptychia intricata) for distinguishing from Intricate Satyr.

See also notes under South Texas Satyr (Hermeuptychia hermybius) for distinguishing from that species.

se US - Map (MPG)

Southern New Jersey south along the Atlantic Coast to southern Florida; west to southeast Kansas, central Oklahoma, and central Texas.

Grassy places, woodlands, forest edges, shaded lawns.

mostly Apr-Oct (MPG)

Larvae feed on grasses; recorded from Broadleaf Carpet Grass (Axonopus compressus), Centipede Grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides), Bosc's Panicgrass (Dichanthelium boscii), Variable Panicgrass (Dichanthelium commutatum), Openflower Rosette Grass (Dichanthelium laxiflorum), Heller's Rosette Grass (Dichanthelium oligosanthes), and Wooly Rosette Grass (Dichanthelium scabrisculum)(1); females in captivity have oviposited on St. Augustine Grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) and Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis)

Adults feed on tree sap and rotting fruit but, on rare occasions, will nectar on flowers.

Three generations per year in northern part of range; more than three farther south. Larvae overwinter on hostplants as larvae and pupate in late winter.

- Range: se US - Map

Hermeuptychia intricata Grishin, was described from Brazos Bend State Park in Texas, where it flies synchronously with Hermeuptychia sosybius (Fabricius, 1793). The two species differ strongly in both male and female genitalia however there are no diagnostic ventral wing pattern characters to differentiate the two species. Diagnostic dorsal wing markings and useful-but-variable ventral wing markings to help separate these two species are here. Their superficial similarity may explain why H. intricata has remained unnoticed until 2014, despite being widely distributed in the coastal plains from South Carolina to Texas (and possibly to Costa Rica). (2)

Illustrations and comments on how to identify Intricate Satyrs and Carolina Satyrs in regions where they fly together:

Butterflies of America - BOA

Moth Photographers Group - MPG

Butterflies and Moths of North America - BAMONA

Dallas Butterflies - Dale Clark