Common Wood-Nymph
Cercyonis pegala (Fabricius, 1775)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Satyrinae
Identification: Geographically variable. Wings are brown. Upperside of forewing has 2 large yellow-ringed eyespots. Lowerside of hindwing has a variable number of small eyespots. Southern and coastal butterflies are larger and have a yellow or yellow-orange patch on the outer part of the forewing. Inland butterflies are smaller and have the yellow forewing patch reduced or absent.
Wing Span: 1 3/4 - 3 inches (4.5 - 7.6 cm).
Life History: Males patrol for females with a dipping flight through the vegetation. In late summer, females lay eggs singly on host plant leaves. Caterpillars hatch but do not feed, instead hibernating until spring.
Flight: One brood from late May-October. Females emerge later than males.
Caterpillar Hosts: Purpletop (Tridens flavus) and other grasses.
Adult Food: Rotting fruit, flower nectar.
Habitat: Large, sunny, grassy areas including prairies, open meadows, bogs, and old fields.
Range: Southern Canada and the continental United States except for most of the Southwest and Texas, southern peninsular Florida, and northern Maine.
Conservation: Isolated populations in Great Basin wetlands may be of concern.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 7630 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 02, 2016
Submitted by: mouser
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 04, 2020
Observation date: Jun 01, 2020
Submitted by: sarabseth
Region: Marin County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 02, 2020
Observation date: May 30, 2020
Submitted by: Jonathan Clark
Region: Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 02, 2020
Observation date: May 19, 2020
Submitted by: sarabseth
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 31, 2020
Observation date: Aug 09, 2019
Submitted by: Micro
Region: Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Apr 23, 2020
Observation date: Jul 25, 2019
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Mar 12, 2020
Observation date: Sep 29, 2011
Submitted by: Pierre Howard
Region: Fulton County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Mar 11, 2020
Observation date: Sep 03, 2011
Submitted by: Pierre Howard
Region: Polk County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Mar 11, 2020
Observation date: Jul 01, 2008
Submitted by: Pierre Howard
Region: Georgia, Union County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Mar 11, 2020
Observation date: Aug 06, 2019
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Mar 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 12, 2019
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Mar 03, 2020
Observation date: Jul 10, 2019
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Clinton County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Feb 09, 2020
Observation date: Jul 28, 2005
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Feb 06, 2020
Observation date: Jul 30, 2005
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Feb 04, 2020
Observation date: Jul 30, 2005
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Feb 04, 2020
Observation date: Aug 23, 2019
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 01, 2020
Observation date: Aug 16, 2019
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 31, 2020
Observation date: Jul 15, 2019
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 11, 2020
Observation date: Aug 12, 2019
Submitted by: ellenjones6
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Dec 11, 2019
Observation date: Jul 31, 2019
Submitted by: ellenjones6
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Dec 11, 2019
Observation date: Aug 21, 2019
Submitted by: ellenjones6
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Dec 11, 2019
Observation date: Jul 20, 2018
Submitted by: ellenjones6
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Dec 11, 2019
Observation date: Jul 03, 2019
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Green County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 08, 2019
Observation date: Jul 19, 2019
Submitted by: FlutterBy-WI
Region: Dunn County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 08, 2019
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