Windwolf
Crex Meadows Butterflies... Common Wood Nymph
Common Wood Nymph
Cercyonis pegala
Wing span: Wing span: 1 3/4 - 3 inches (4.5 - 7.6 cm).
Caterpillar hosts: Purpletop (Tridens flavus) and other grasses.
Eggs are laid singly on grass blades. Fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Habitat: Large, sunny, grassy areas including prairies, open meadows, bogs, and old fields.
Picture taken July 30, 2007
| Kingdom | Animalia | (Animals) |
| Phylum | Arthropoda | (Arthropods) |
| Superclass | Hexapoda | (Hexapods) |
| Class | Insecta | (Insects) |
| Subclass | Pterygota | (Winged Insects) |
| Order | Lepidoptera | (Butterflies and Moths) |
| Superfamily | Papilionoidea | (Butterflies) |
| Family | Nymphalidae | (Brushfooted Butterflies) |
| Subfamily | Satyrinae | (Nymphs, Satyrs and Arctic Butterflies) |
| Genus | Cercyonis | |
| Species | pegala | (Common Wood Nymph) |
Picture taken July 30, 2007
The picture to the right is not as sharp as I had hoped, but I think it shows how small and varied the little spots on the underside of the hind wing can be.
Several others of this specie were seen on Crex but this mating pair were the only ones which I could get close enough for picture taking to occur.
Picture taken July 30, 2007