Polygonia satyrus

• Overview
• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Overview

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Description

Family Nymphalidae

'The Nymphalidae are members of the Superfamily Papilionoidea, the true butterflies. Distributed worldwide, butterflies of this family are especially rich in the tropics. They are highly variable, and there are more species in this family than in any other. Adults vary in size from small to large, and their front legs are reduced, unable to be used for walking. Wing shape is also highly variable: some species have irregular margins (anglewings and commas), and others have long taillike projections (daggerwings). Browns, oranges, yellows, and blacks are frequent colors, while iridescent colors such as purples and blues are rare. Adults of some groups are the longest-lived butterflies, surviving 6-11 months. Adult feeding behavior depends on the species, where some groups primarily seek flower nectar while others only feed on sap flows , rotting fruit, dung, or animal carcasses. Males exhibit perching and patrolling behaviors when seeking mates. Egg-laying varies widely, as some species lay eggs in clustsers, others in columns, and others singly. Caterpillar appearance and behavior vary widely. Brushfoots overwinter as larvae or adults.

'[1]

Subfamily Nymphalinae

Brushfoots are the most prevalent members of the Family Nymphalinae. Distributed worldwide, this is a diverse group that contains several tribes , each with somewhat different structural and biological features. Adults of North American species are predominantly orange, brown, and black. Wing shape and mating systems are variable. Most checkerspots and crescentspots patrol for mates, while the remainder of groups exhibit either perching or perching and patrolling . Migration varies widely; some strong migrants are found in the lady butterflies, tortoiseshells, and anglewings, while other species are local in occurrence. Most species limit their host plants to a few species, but the Painted Lady has one of the widest host palettes of all butterflies. Eggs are laid singly or clustered in groups, and caterpillars be found feeding alone or communally. Brushfoots overwinter as young caterpillars or hibernating adults.[2]

Physical Description

Habitat

Valley bottoms , along streams , wooded prairie ravines , marshes, openings in riparian woods , fields and edges near moist woods.

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,875 meters (0 to 9,432 feet).[3]

Biology

Diet

Caterpillar hosts: Various nettles (Urticaceae species). Adult food: Tree sap , rotting fruit, flower nectar including that from blackberry and almond.

Reproduction

In late afternoon, males perch on tree trunks and low vegetation in woodland openings to watch for females. Eggs are laid singly, in stacks, or in groups on the lower side of nettle leaves. Caterpillars eat leaves and make a shelter by pulling down and fastening the edges of a leaf with silk . Adults hibernate.

Behavior

Flight: Two to three flights on the Pacific Coast from February-November; two flights in Colorado, Nevada, and Saskatchewan from June-September; one flight in remainder of range from July-September.

Taxonomy

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: Volkman L.E., Blissard G.W., Friesen P., Keddie B .A., Possee R., Theilmann D.A., 01-Oct-2005

Similar Species

Members of the genus Polygonia

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 16 species and subspecies in this genus:

P. comma (Comma) · P. egea (Eastern Comma) · P. faunus (Green Comma) · P. faunus faunus (Green Comma) · P. faunus hylas (Colorado Green Comma) · P. faunus rusticus (Rustic Green Comma) · P. faunus smythi (Green Comma) · P. gracilis (Hoary Comma) · P. gracilis gracilis (Hoary Comma) · P. gracilis zephyrus (Zephyr) · P. interrogationis (Question Mark) · P. oreas (Oreas Comma) · P. oreas nigrozephyrus (Dark-Gray Comma) · P. progne (Gray Comma) · P. satyrus (Satyr Comma) · P. zephyrus (Zephyr Comma)

More Info

• Search for Pictures: images.google.com
• Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
• Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
• Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books

Further Reading

• Annual report / Entomological Society of Ontario. Toronto, The Society. url p. 184, p. 61, p. 76, p. 92, p. 92.
• Bulletin - New York State Museum. Albany: New York State Education Dept. url p. 321.
• Bulletin / University of Montana. Missoula: University of Montana, 1901-1910. url p. 86.
• Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences. Los Angeles, Calif.: The Academy, 1902-1971. url , p. 126, p. 45, p. 53, p. 59, p. 63.
• Butterflies and moths of Newfoundland and Labrador: the macrolepidoptera / [Ottawa]: Agriculture Canada, 1980. url p. 275.
• Catalog of hymenoptera in America north of Mexico / prepared cooperatively by specialists on the various groups of Hymenoptera under the direction of Karl V. Krombein. .. [et al.]. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1979- url p. 520, p. 659, p. 809.
• Contributions to the natural history of the Lepidoptera of North America. .. By William Barnes. .. and J. H. McDunnough. Decatur, Ill., The Review press, 19 url p. 99.
• Guide to California insects. Berkeley, The Law press, 1913. url p. 25, p. 27.
• Journal of the New York Entomological Society. Lawrence, Kan.: Allen Press [etc.] url p. 158, p. 43.
• Memoirs of the American Entomological Society. Philadelphia, American Entomological Society, 1916- url p. 382, p. 795.
• Memorial of life and entomologic work of Joseph Albert Lintner, state entomologist, 1874-98, by Ephraim Porter Felt. Albany: University of the State of New York, 1899. url p. 321.
• Occasional papers of the California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco: California Academy of Sciences, url p. 24, p. 25.
• Occasional papers of the Museum of Natural History, the University of Kansas. 1993 Lawrence, Kan.: The University, 1971-1994. url p. 11.
• Proceedings of the Entomological Society of British Columbia. [s.l.]: Entomological Society of British Columbia. url p. 12.
• Proceedings of the United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.] url p. 784.
• Proceedings. Halifax url p. 261.
• Proceedings. Toronto. url p. 184, p. 61, p. 92, p. 92.
• Report for the year - British Columbia Provincial Museum. [Victoria]; Printed by A. Sutton [etc.], for the Queen. url .
• The Canadian entomologist. Ottawa [etc.]Entomological Society of Canada [etc.] url p. 428, p. 428.
• The Canadian field-naturalist. Ottawa, Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club. url p. 668, p. 83, p. 90.
• The Entomologist. London: Simpkin, Marshall & Co., [1877- url p. 135.
• The Great Basin naturalist. 59 1999 Provo, Utah: M.L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, 1939-1999. url p. 60.
• The Lepidopterists' news: the monthly newsletter of the Lepidopterists' Society. Cambridge, Mass.: Lepidopterists' Society, 1947-1958. url p. 87.
• The Proceedings and transactions of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science. Halifax, Nova Scotian Institute of Science. url .
• The butterflies of Montana: with keys for determination of species, by Morton John Elrod. .. assisted by Frances Inez Maley, A. B. A nature study bulletin, for the use of teachers, students and others who wish to study the butterflies; with one colored plate, twelve Missoula, Mont.: University of Montana, 1906. url p. 86.
• The butterflies of the eastern United States and Canada: with special reference to New England / By Samuel Hubbard Scudder. Cambridge: The author, 1889. url , , , p. 1352, p. 1532, p. 1872, p. 1890, p. 1946, p. 344, p. 976.
• The classification of lepidopterous larvae, with ten plates, by Stanley Black Fracker. Urbana, University of Illinois, c1915 url p. 136.
• Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History. 6 1930 [San Diego]: The Society, 1905-1989. url p. 17, p. 406.

Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 10, 2012.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 12, 2007:

• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Alan Wormington Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Butterflies and Skippers of Alberta Project
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Canadian National Collection
• of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Crispin S. Guppy Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Donald F. Hooper Butterfly collection, Canada
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Gerald Hilchie Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Lepidopterists Society Season Summaries 1973-1997
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Lyman Entomological Museum
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, M. Gollop Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, New Brunswick Museum Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Norbert Kondla Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Northern Forestry Centre Arthropod Collection, Edmonton
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, Halifax, NS, Canada
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Provincial Museum of Alberta
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Ross A. Layberry Observations
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Royal British Columbia Museum Entomology Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Royal Ontario Museum: Entomology
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Royal Saskatchewan Museum Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Spencer Entomological Museum
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, University of Guelph, Department of Environmental Biology
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, University of New Brunswick Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, University of Saskatchewan
• Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois Natural History Survey

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2603061
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-188588
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 14808504
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 188588
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: IILEPK5030
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 11560

Footnotes

1. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/taxonomy?f=18&sci=Nymphalidae&com=Brush-footed Butterflies [back]
2. http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Editha&search=Search [back]
3. Mean = 767.240 meters (2,517.192 feet), Standard Deviation = 573.700 based on 814 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.