''Lethe anthedon'', the northern pearly-eye, is a species of
butterfly
Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...
of the subfamily
Satyrinae
The Satyrinae, the satyrines or satyrids, commonly known as the browns, are a subfamily of the Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies). They were formerly considered a distinct family, Satyridae. This group contains nearly half of the known divers ...
in the family
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species ha ...
.
It is found in North America,
from central
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...
and eastern
Nebraska
Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
east to
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
, south to central
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
and
Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
.
[''Enodia anthedon'']
Butterflies and Moths of North America
The MONA or Hodges number for ''Lethe anthedon'' is
4568.1.
Description
The
wingspan
The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingsp ...
is 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches (43–67 mm.)
[Northern Pearly-eye]
Butterflies of Canada
The upperside is brown with dark eyespots and the underside is brown. Adults feed on dung, fungi, carrion and sap from willows, poplars, and birches.
The larvae feed on various grasses, including ''Leersia virginica
''Leersia virginica'', commonly known as whitegrass, white cutgrass, or Virginian cutgrass, is a perennial grass that is native to eastern North America, typically found in partially shaded low-lying wet areas.
Its blooming period occurs from mi ...
'', '' Erianthus'' species, ''Muhlenbergia
''Muhlenbergia'' is a genus of plants in the grass family.
The genus is named in honor of the German-American amateur botanist Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg (1753-1815). Many of the species are known by the common name muhly.
The greatest ...
'' species, bearded shortgrass (''Brachyelytrum erectum
''Brachyelytrum erectum'', known as the southern shorthusk or the southern long-awned woodgrass, is a perennial grass native to North America. Its specific epithet "''erectum''" refers to the erect culms of the grass. Its diploid number is 22.
...
''), ''Chasmanthium latifolium
''Chasmanthium'' is a genus of North American plants in the grass family.
Members of the genus are commonly known as woodoats. One species, '' Chasmanthium latifolium'', is commonly cultivated.
The generic name is derived from the Greek words ...
'', bottlebrush grass ('' Hystrix patula''), and false melic grass ('' Schizachne purpurascens'').[ The host plants of a northern population include sedges ('']Carex
''Carex'' is a vast genus of over 2,000 species of grass-like plants in the family (biology), family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges (or seg, in older books). Other members of the family Cyperaceae are also called sedges, however those of ge ...
'' species).[Larval host plants of ''Enodia anthedon'' ... , The Taxonomic Report, Vol 7 No 6, 2014.]
The species overwinters in the larval stage.
Gallery
File:Northern Pearly-eye - Lethe anthedon, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Woodbridge, Virginia (34884705322).jpg, Northern Pearly-eye in Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Woodbridge, Virginia
File:Northern Pearly-eye, dorsal, Larose Forest.jpg, Dorsal view
File:Northern Pearly-eye, Megan McCarty111.jpg, Ventral view
File:Northern Pearly Eye, Side, Beltsville, MD 2013-10-25-10.28.43 ZS PMax.jpg, Larva
Subspecies
* ''Lethe anthedon anthedon'' (A. Clark, 1936)
* ''Lethe anthedon borealis'' (A. Clark, 1936)
Similar species
*'' Satyrodes appalachia'' / '' Lethe appalachia'' (R. L. Chermock, 1947) – Appalachian brown
*'' Satyrodes eurydice'' 'Lethe eurydice''">Lethe_eurydice.html" ;"title="'Lethe eurydice">'Lethe eurydice''/small> (Linnaeus, 1763) – eyed brown
References
Further reading
*
Satyrini
Butterflies described in 1936
Butterflies of North America
Lepidoptera of Canada
Lepidoptera of the United States
{{Satyrini-stub