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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 8010 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 30, 2022
Submitted by: terrymortier
Region: Polk County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 24, 2024
Observation date: Aug 10, 2019
Submitted by: eattaway92
Region: Teton County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jan 25, 2024
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: asand
Region: Iron County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jan 17, 2024
Observation date: Jul 08, 2023
Submitted by: billmaciejko
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Jan 04, 2024
Observation date: Aug 06, 2023
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Dec 20, 2023
Observation date: Jul 09, 2018
Submitted by: Doug Nettleton
Region: Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 20, 2023
Observation date: Sep 29, 2023
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 16, 2023
Observation date: Oct 06, 2019
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 09, 2023
Observation date: Oct 07, 2023
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 08, 2023
Observation date: Jul 04, 2017
Submitted by: Puccini
Region: Roberts County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 22, 2023
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Garfield County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 17, 2023
Observation date: Jul 13, 2023
Submitted by: Paul C. Agidius
Region: Latah County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Sep 12, 2023
Observation date: Aug 05, 2021
Submitted by: Puccini
Region: Roberts County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 11, 2023
Observation date: Sep 10, 2023
Submitted by: schaarschmidt
Region: Bledsoe County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 11, 2023
Observation date: Jun 20, 2015
Submitted by: ridgeboy
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
Observation date: Jul 12, 2023
Submitted by: bshettler
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
Observation date: Jul 02, 2023
Submitted by: Gillian Richards
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
Observation date: Jul 09, 2023
Submitted by: Gillian Richards
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: freehikerdave
Region: Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 29, 2023
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: MikeandShelley
Region: Harney County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 27, 2023
Observation date: Aug 07, 2017
Submitted by: mhearell
Region: Weber County, Utah, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 24, 2023
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: dlister
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Aug 18, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Aug 18, 2023
Submitted by: MSEmbeck
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 20, 2023
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