Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Carolina Satyr
Hermeuptychia sosybius (Fabricius, 1793)


Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Satyrinae
Identification: Upperside is brown with no markings. Underside is brown; both wings have many small eyespots rimmed with yellow.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 inches (3.2 - 3.8 cm).
Life History: Adults have a slow, weak flight, and are usually found flying in the forest understory. Males patrol during the day to find receptive females. Caterpillars eat leaves.
Flight: Several broods throughout the year in South Texas and the Deep South; three broods from April-October in the northern part of the range.
Caterpillar Hosts: Carpet grass (Axonopus compressus), centipede grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides); probably St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), and others.
Adult Food: Sap and rotting fruit.
Habitat: Grassy places and woodlands.
Range: Southern New Jersey south along the Atlantic Coast to southern Florida; west to southeast Kansas, central Oklahoma, central Texas, and Mexico.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported. Note: This butterfly was formerly called Hermeuptychia hermes, but the type locality of hermes is South America and North American populations do not represent the same species.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Euptychia sosybius
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