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Northern
Pearly Eye Butterfly - Enodia anthedon
These Pearly Eye
butterflies were having quite a little party on this oak tree one
June day.
There was a wad of sap/resin exuding from a wound, and they were
topping off their tanks.
Also present and feeding were little wood satyrs,
Megisto
cymela.
Superfamily:
Papilionoidea - True Butterflies /
Family: Nymphalidae - Brushfoots / Subfamily: Satyrinae /
Species: Enodia anthedon
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Northern Pearly Eye feeding on oak
tree sap |
I came
across a tree sap party one day in late June 2004. There were a dozen or
more Northern Pearly-eyes and Little Wood Satyrs all clustering on one
pin oak tree that was oozing sap at several locations. That sap was like
catnip for those butterflies. They kept coming and going and jockying
for position, it was really a sight to see. The image in the thumbnail
at the top of this page shows another butterfly at the side coming in
for a landing.
The Northern Pearly Eye has only recently been
determined a species in its own right. The larva feed on forest grasses
instead of the cane favored by the more southern Pearly Eye. The
Northern Pearly Eye is confined to forests and their borders. It
tolerates more shade than most other butterflies. And, unlike most other
butterflies, it is not attracted to flowers, preferring tree sap,
carrion and scat for its nutritional needs. It often perches on tree
trunks, leaves and bushes, often gathering in groups like the ones
pictured here.
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Antennal club has orange,
black-ringed tip. All underwing eye-spots have "pupils". |
Similar Species: Pearly Eye is larger with richer coloring.
Creole pearly eye has dark patches above.
Life
Cycle: Caterpillar is green with red-tipped, forked spines
at
both ends; feeds on grasses. One brood June-August.
Habitat:
Deciduous woods and margins, forest glades.
Range: Manitoba
and northern Arkansas east to Maine
and Virginia. |
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