Carolina Satyr
Hermeuptychia sosybius
Description 1 1/8-1 5/8" (28-41 mm). Wings rounded. Above,
dark brown with eyespots minute or absent. Below, brown frosted with white scales, crossed by darker brown lines and submarginal HW row of 6 small eyespots with light rims and bluish pupils, 2nd and 5th largest.
Similar Species Little Wood Satyr larger, tanner beneath, with conspicuous eyespots above and below. Mitchell's Marsh Satyr and Georgia Satyr larger, with more prominent eyespots surrounded by reddish lines, the 3rd and 4th being largest. Hermes and Carolina satyrs cannot be distinguished in the field where ranges overlap.
Life Cycle Egg green, rounded. Caterpillar light green with dark green stripes and fine, yellowish pile.
Host plants are various grasses (Poaceae). Chrysalis curved, olive.
Flight Successive broods in Florida; year-round. 2 broods farther north; spring-late summer.
Habitat Deciduous woodlands with standing water, pinelands, and shady meadows; more common at lower altitudes.
Range Southeast, from New Jersey to Florida and around Gulf to Texas, north in Mississippi Valley at least to Kentucky.
Discussion The Carolina Satyr is one of the smallest satyrs in North America; it is abundant and widespread in the Southeast. The region's luxuriant growth suits this satyr's liking for moisture, shade, and grasses. Unlike most members of the family, the Carolina Satyr visits flowers frequently. Some specialists consider the Carolina and Hermes satyrs the same species.
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