The Butterflies of the World Foundation

A Non-Profit Organization

Northern Pearly-eye

Lethe anthedon, A. Clark, 1936

Subfamily Satyrinae

Lethe anthedon, Burlington, Ward County, North Dakota, 4 July 2005   Ref #:  I-309-17.3

Lethe anthedon, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 13 July 2008                                                                                      Ref #:  I-394-1

Taxonomy

The family Nymphalidae is the largest butterfly family and includes about 6,000 species which are further divided up into 12 subfamilies.  The common name for the family is the Brushfoots or Brushfooted Butterflies.  This strange name is because the first pair of legs are significantly reduced, sometimes to mere stubs, and look like little brushes.  Some of the most common and well known species are in this group such as the Monarch, Red Admiral, Blue Morpho and Painted Lady.  Some of the longest lived butterflies are in this family with some species living over 10 months as adults.  The Brushfoots are distributed worldwide, with the highest diversity found in the tropics.  With this variety, there is also quite a difference in behavior, adult food choices and habitat preference from species to species.

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Lethe anthedon, Little Yellowstone Park, Barnes County, North Dakota, 28 June 2003

                                                                                                Ref #:  I-182-18

Lethe anthedon, Mirror Pool Wildlife Management Area, Ransom County, North Dakota, 29 June 2003                                                                                   Ref #:  I-187-8.2

Lethe anthedon, Denbigh Experimental Forest, McHenry County, North Dakota, 26 June 2003                                                                                          Ref #:  I-179-9.6

Lethe anthedon, Burlington, Ward County, North Dakota, 4 July 2005     Ref #:  I-310-2.2

Lethe anthedon, Burlington, Ward County, North Dakota, 18 July 2004  Ref #:  I-280-13.2

Lethe anthedon, Burlington, Ward County, North Dakota, 18 July 2004   Ref #:  I-280-9.1

Lethe anthedon, Burlington, Ward County, North Dakota, 4 July 2005   Ref #:  I-309-11.1

Lethe anthedon, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 13 July 2008                                                                                  Ref #:  I-393-20.2

General Information:

Lethe anthedon belongs to the subfamily Satyrinae.  It is found throughout the eastern half of North America except for the far southeastern U.S.  Its preferred habitat is damp deciduous woods, usually near marshes or waterways and mixed or grassy woodlands.

Lifecycle:

The larval food source includes various grasses including white grass, Leersia virginica, bearded shorthusk, Brachyelytrum erectum, plumegrass, Erianthus sp., broadleaf uniola, Uniola latifolia, and bottlebrush, Hystrix patula.  Males perch on tree trunks or vegetation up to 10 feet above ground at edges of clearings to wait for females.  Eggs are laid singly on the host plant and third and fourth instar caterpillars hibernate.

Lethe anthedon, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 13 July 2008                                                                                 Ref #:  I-393-16.2