Cercyonis oetus
Encyclopedia
The Small Wood-nymph or Dark Wood-nymph (Cercyonis oetus) is a butterfly
of the Nymphalidae
family. It is found in Eastern North America
.
The wingspan
is 32–45 mm. Adults are on wing from June to August in one generation.
The larva
e feed on various grasses.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...
family. It is found in Eastern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 32–45 mm. Adults are on wing from June to August in one generation.
The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e feed on various grasses.
Subpspecies
There are four recognised subspecies:- Cercyonis oetus oetus
- Cercyonis oetus charon
- Cercyonis oetus silvestris
- Cercyonis oetus pallescens
External links
- Small Wood Nymph, Butterflies and Moths of North America
- Small Wood-Nymph, Butterflies of Canada