What do they look like?

This family of butterflies is related to the Brushfoots (Nymphalidae). Like the Brushfoots their front legs are shortened and lack claws, they don't use them to stand or walk. In our area this group can be separated from the Brushfoots by the wing colors of the adults: Michigan Nymphs and Satyrs all are camouflaged, with brown or tan wings with eyespots (eyespots are spots with rings of different colors that look like eyes). Brushfoots that are brown with eyespots also have orange or yellow on their wings.

Nymph and Satyr caterpillars and pupae are also camouflaged, usually green, sometimes brown, sometimes with long stripes. They are usually fairly long and thin, and their back end is divided in two.

Pupae are chrysalids (they don't make a cocoon), green or brown to match their surroundings.

Where in the world do they live?

There are over 2,000 species in this family around the world, but only 43 are found in the United States and only 12 in Michigan.

What kind of habitat do they need?

Adults of these species live around wetlands like forest streams, swamps, and wet meadows. Others live in dryer habitats on the edges of woods, and in old meadows. They are all near their food plants, which are grasses and sedges. The caterpillars are found on the plants they eat. Some species in this group are called Arctics, because they live in cold climates in the far north and on the tops of mountains.

How do they grow?

See More Information about Butterflies for the basic information. Butterflies in this group usually overwinter as larvae, and their pupae are chrysalids.

How do they reproduce?

After mating, females lay up to several hundred eggs, one at a time, usually on or near the food plants for the caterpillars.

Once the female has laid her eggs, she dies. There is no parental care in this group.

How long do they live?

Most species in this family only live for one year or less. A few of the species living in cold-climates have to survive 2 winters to complete their development.

How do they behave?

Caterpillars in many of the species in this family feed at night, and hide in the grass during the day. The adults fly during the day. They are not very active flyers, they often stay in a small area, and in some species males don't patrol but just stay in one place and produce pheromones, and then fly out to investigate any passing butterflies. This family is known for its habit of uneven and low flight.

How do they communicate with each other?

These butterflies communicate mainly by scent and vision. Males have glands on their wings that make chemicals to attract females. This family has enlarged veins at the base of its front wings that may serve as "ears" for detecting sounds.

What do they eat?

Caterpillars in this family usually eat grasses or grass-like plants called sedges. They often hide during the day and crawl out to feed at night. Adult satyrs and wood nymphs may sip nectar, but many prefer tree sap, or aphid honeydew, and they sometimes feed on dung, carrion, fungi, or rotting fruit.

What eats them and how do they avoid being eaten?

This family doesn't have toxic chemical, so it relies on camouflage and hiding to avoid predators. Adults in this family tend to fly slowly and close to the ground, and quickly land to hide if they are threatened.

How do they interact with us?

These harmless butterflies don't directly affect humans much in positive or negative ways.

Are they endangered?

Most species in this family are in no danger, but at least one is. The species is called Mitchell's Satyr, its scientific name is Neonympha mitchelii. It is only found in a few swampy meadows in Michigan, Indiana, and New Jersey. In each state there are only one or a few places where the species is found, and it only small populations at each place. This species seems to need a special habitat, and in most places this habitat has been wiped out by recent human construction and agriculture.