The Butterflies of the World Foundation

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Common Wood-Nymph

Cercyonis pegala, Fabricius, 1775

Subfamily Satyrinae

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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Cercyonis pegala, one half mile south of Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 27 June 2006                                                   Ref #:  I-358-10.2

Cercyonis pegala, Pasture 12, Little Missouri National Grassland, McKenzie County, North Dakota, 16 July 2005                                                                       Ref #:  I-313-8

Cercyonis pegala, Mt. Carmel Camp, McHenry County, North Dakota, 12 July 2002

                                                                                             Ref #:  I-119-11.1

Cercyonis pegala, Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge, Ward County, North Dakota, 1 August 2001                                                                               Ref #:  I-88-20.1

Cercyonis pegala, Killdeer Mountains Wildlife Management Area, Dunn County, North Dakota, 4 August 2002                                                                   Ref #:  I-142-12

Cercyonis pegala, Little Yellowstone Park, Barnes County, North Dakota, 12 July 2003

                                                                                               Ref #:  I-190-2.4

Cercyonis pegala, Mt. Carmel Camp, McHenry County, North Dakota, 14 July 2004

                                                                                                  Ref #:  I-274-5

Cercyonis pegala, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Unit, Caprock Coulee Trail, McKenzie County, 24 July 2005                                                      Ref #: I-314-10.2

Cercyonis pegala, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 22 September 2005                                                                         Ref #:  I-317-18.7

Cercyonis pegala, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 20 September 2009                                                                         Ref #:  I-432-20.2

General Information:

Cercyonis pegala belongs to the subfamily Satyrinae.  This species is found throughout much of the U.S. and southern Canada.  Its preferred habitat includes sunny, grassy areas including prairies, open meadows, bogs and old fields.

Lifecycle:

The larval food source includes various grasses.  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, but instead hibernate until spring.

Cercyonis pegala, Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge, Ward County, North Dakota, 2 August 2003                                                                               Ref #:  I-199-5.3

Cercyonis pegala, Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Osage County, Oklahoma, 15 June 2012

                                                                                               Ref #:  I-526-8.3

Cercyonis pegala, mated pair, Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Osage County, Oklahoma, 15 June 2012

                                                     Ref #:  I-525-19.4