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| Viola's Wood Satyr |
Latin
Name: Megisto viola |
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Genus: Megisto Species: viola |
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Comments: |
| Viola's Wood Satyr scurries along the forest floor with a quick, bobbing flight and periodically lands on leaf litter or low vegetation with wings tightly closed. Like most satyrs, it does not visit flowers but instead is drawn to sap flows and rotting fruit. The large yellow-rimmed eyespots presumably help deflect attack away from the insect's vulnerable body. With even a good portion of its wing missing, the butterfly can still fly and will live to see another day. |
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Life
Cycle: |
Broods: |
single spring generation |
Egg: |
green, laid singly on host leaves |
Larva: |
brown with dark dorsal stripe and two stubby tails |
Host Plants: |
various grasses including St. Augustine Grass |
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Host
Plants: |
Host
Plants: |
various grasses including St. Augustine Grass |
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Habitat: |
Habitat: |
shady woodlands, forest edges and adjacent open areas |
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Wingspan: |
Inches: |
1.3 - 1.9 |
Centimeters: |
3.3 - 4.8 |
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Appearance: |
Sexes: |
similar, although female has larger eyespots |
Compare: |
Carolina Satyr is smaller and lacks large, yellow-rimmed dorsal eyespots. |
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| Markings: |
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Above:
- brown with large yellow-rimmed eyespots on both wings; male has two conspicuous eyespots on the forewing and one to two on the hindwing; female has two or three on the hindwing
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Below:
- light brown with a dark brown submedian and postmedian lines and large, yellow-rimmed eyespots; silver markings between eyespots
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Abundance: |
occasional to common |
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Map Legend: Resident (green) | Stray
(Red) |
