Critter Catalog

What do they look like?

Adults are greyish brown in color. They have black eyespots that are ringed in yellow on both sides of their wings. The uppersides of their wings have two eyespots, The undersides of the forewings have two large eyespots. The undersides of the hindwings have two large spots and many smaller spots. Little wood satyrs have wingspans ranging from 29 millimeters to 48 millimeters. (Bartlett, 2004; Klots, 1951)

The two subspecies of little wood satyrs look a bit different. The subspecies Megisto cymela viola is brighter in color than the subspecies Megisto cymela cymela. M. cymela viola has an almost violet coloring. (Klots, 1951)

Caterpillars are greenish-brown in color. They have a dark stripe down their back; they have brown and yellow horizontal stripes. Caterpillars of little wood satyrs are bumpy and have reddish-brown hairs. Their heads are a dull white color and their lower end is greyish. (Bartlett, 2004; Klots, 1951)

Carolina satyrs and red satyrs look very similar to little wood satyrs. Carolina satyrs lacks eye spots on their uppersides. They have one large eyespot on the underside of their forewings, unlike the two or more seen on little wood satyrs. Red satyrs have one large eyespot on the upper side of their wings and one large eyespot on the lower part of the front wings. They have a reddish color. (Bartlett, 2004)

• Range wingspan

  29 to 48 mm

  1.14 to 1.89 in

Where do they live?

Megisto cymela, commonly known as little wood satyrs, is a species of butterfly found in the Nearctic. Little wood satyrs are mainly found in the eastern half of North America. Their range stretches from Canada and Nebraska south to Florida and Texas. They are common through their range. (Bartlett, 2004; Klots, 1951)

• Biogeographic Regions
• nearctic
  • native

What kind of habitat do they need?

Little wood satyrs live in forests and shrubby locations. They prefer deciduous forests and wet meadows surrounded by trees. (Bartlett, 2004; Klots, 1951)

• These animals are found in the following types of habitat
• temperate

• Terrestrial Biomes
• savanna or grassland
• forest

How do they grow?

Eggs are laid on grass blades one at a time. After hatching, caterpillars pass through stages of development. Caterpillars overwinter in their fourth stage of development. Like other butterflies, little wood satyrs undergo metamorphosis to become adults. Caterpillars pupate and then emerge as adults. (Bartlett, 2004)

• Development - Life Cycle
• metamorphosis

How do they reproduce?

Little wood satyrs use sexual reproduction and lay eggs. (Bartlett, 2004; Marín, 2019)

• Key Reproductive Features
• seasonal breeding
• sexual
• oviparous

• How often does reproduction occur?

  Little wood satyrs breed once yearly.

Little wood satyrs do not care for their young. (Bartlett, 2004)

• Parental Investment
• no parental involvement

How long do they live?

Adult little wood satyrs are active from May to July. In the northern parts of their range, they produce one generation per year. In the southern parts of their range, they may produce three or four generations. (Bartlett, 2004)

How do they behave?

Little wood satyrs fly close to the ground. Their flight is slow, but they are able to avoid capture by twisting through tall grasses and shrubs. (Klots, 1951)

• Key Behaviors
• terricolous
• flies
• diurnal
• solitary

How do they communicate with each other?

Little wood satyrs have compound eyes. Like other butterflies, they are able to see ultraviolet light. Their antennae are sensory organs; they allow the butterflies to sense odors, touch, and possibly sound. They have taste receptors in their mouths and on the bottoms of their feet. Butterflies are able to perceive sound, though they do not have a special organ dedicated to this sense as moths do. (Wernert, 1998)

• Other Communication Modes
• pheromones

• Perception Channels
• visual
• ultraviolet
• tactile
• acoustic
• chemical

What do they eat?

Adults feed on nectar and sap. Larvae feed on grasses like orchardgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and centipede grass. (Bartlett, 2004)

• Primary Diet
• herbivore
  • folivore
  • nectarivore
  • eats sap or other plant foods

What eats them and how do they avoid being eaten?

Little wood satyrs have large eye spots on their wings. The eye spots may confuse and repel predators. (Bartlett, 2004; Klots, 1951)

• These animal colors help protect them
• aposematic
• cryptic

What roles do they have in the ecosystem?

While feeding on nectar and sap, adult butterflies may pollinate plants. They pick up pollen and transfer it between plants while gathering food. However, adults rarely feed on nectar. (Bartlett, 2004; Holl, 1995)

• Ecosystem Impact
• pollinates

Do they cause problems?

Little wood satyrs have no known negative economic importance to humans.

How do they interact with us?

Little wood satyrs have no known positive economic importance to humans.

Are they endangered?

• IUCN Red List

  No special status

• US Federal List

  No special status

• CITES

  No special status

• State of Michigan List

  No special status

Some more information...

Papilio cymela Cramer 1777

Euptychia cymela Cramer 1779

Two subspecies of little wood satyrs exist. (Bartlett, 2004; Marín, 2019)

Contributors

Deena Hauze (author), Animal Diversity Web Staff.

References

Bartlett, T. 2004. "Species Megisto cymela - Little Wood Satyr" (On-line). Bug Guide. Accessed August 02, 2020 at https://bugguide.net/node/view/474.

Holl, K. 1995. Nectar Resources and Their Influence on Butterfly Communities on Reclaimed Coal Surface Mines. Restoration Ecology, 3(2). Accessed August 02, 2020 at https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-100X.1995.tb00080.x.

Klots, A. 1951. A field guide to the butterflies of North America, east of the Great Plains. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Accessed August 02, 2020 at https://archive.org/details/fieldguidetobutt00alex/page/64/mode/2up.

Marín, M. 2019. "An overview of the Euptychiina (Satyrinae) diversity" (On-line). Congreso Sociedad Colombiana de Entomología, Memorias & Resúmenes. 46 Congreso Socolen, Medellín. Accessed August 02, 2020 at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jose_Schlickmann_Tank/publication/334645443_Efecto_de_la_fertilizacion_sobre_la_poblacion_de_Melanaphis_sacchari_Zehntner_Hemiptera_Aphididae_en_sorgo/links/5d37f43ba6fdcc370a5a3cb6/Efecto-de-la-fertilizacion-sobre-la-poblacion-de-Melanaphis-sacchari-Zehntner-Hemiptera-Aphididae-en-sorgo.pdf#page=76.

Wernert, S. 1998. Reader's Digest North American Wildlife. New York: Readers Digest.