Little Wood-Satyr
Megisto cymela (Cramer, 1777)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Satyrinae
Identification: Light brown. Forewing has 2 yellow-rimmed black eyespots both above and below. Hindwing has 2 eyespots on upper side; but may have smaller spots below.
Wing Span: 1 1/2 - 1 7/8 inches (3.8 - 4.8 cm).
Life History: In the early morning and late afternoon, Little Wood Satyrs bask with their wings open while perched on tree leaves or on leaf litter. Adults have a slow bouncing flight and will rise as far as the tops of tall trees. Males patrol in the shade to find females. Eggs are laid singly on grass blades. Fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: One brood from June-July in the north; two to three broods from March-September in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata) and centipede grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides).
Adult Food: Sap, aphid honeydew, and rarely flower nectar.
Habitat: Grassy woods and openings, old fields; especially in limey or basic soils.
Range: Eastern Nebraska and northeastern Colorado south to eastern Texas; east through all of the eastern United States except northern New England, southern peninsular Florida, and coastal Louisiana.
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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 73 - 96 of 6931 verified sightings
Observation date: May 30, 2023
Submitted by: MSEmbeck
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 01, 2023
Observation date: May 30, 2023
Submitted by: Steven Wilson
Region: Mercer County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 31, 2023
Observation date: May 29, 2023
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 30, 2023
Observation date: May 28, 2023
Submitted by: catbirdcat
Region: Allegany County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 29, 2023
Observation date: May 26, 2023
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 27, 2023
Observation date: May 19, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: May 20, 2023
Observation date: May 05, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: May 09, 2023
Observation date: Apr 02, 2023
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Citrus County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 07, 2023
Observation date: Apr 02, 2023
Submitted by: polylepis
Region: Harris County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 05, 2023
Observation date: Mar 25, 2023
Submitted by: polylepis
Region: Harris County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 27, 2023
Observation date: Mar 12, 2023
Submitted by: polylepis
Region: Harris County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 16, 2023
Observation date: Apr 11, 2020
Submitted by: KRPerry
Region: Hays County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 11, 2022
Observation date: May 17, 2020
Submitted by: cosmic_cat
Region: Texas, Morris County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 10, 2022
Observation date: May 10, 2021
Submitted by: guy_incognito
Region: Bandera County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 09, 2022
Observation date: Jul 17, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: Boone County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Eric Wood
Verified date: Sep 22, 2022
Observation date: Jul 05, 2022
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Barry County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 10, 2022
Submitted by: alxj4d3
Region: Montcalm County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 31, 2022
Observation date: Jun 20, 2022
Submitted by: Roose
Region: Saginaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 31, 2022
Observation date: Jun 03, 2016
Submitted by: dbryant562
Region: Portage County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 28, 2022
Observation date: May 13, 2021
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Comal County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 23, 2022
Observation date: Jun 05, 2022
Submitted by: Jasper
Region: Genesee County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 16, 2022
Observation date: May 28, 2022
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Callaway County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 03, 2022
Observation date: Jun 28, 2022
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 03, 2022
Observation date: Jun 05, 2022
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Porter County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 03, 2022
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