Cercyonis sthenele
Encyclopedia
The Great Basin Wood-nymph (Cercyonis sthenele) is a North American
butterfly
in the family Nymphalidae
.
on the forewing with the upper larger than the lower.
The wingspan
measures 39–44 mm (1.5–1.7 in). Flight period is from late June to late August.
, Canada.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
in the family Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...
.
Description
Dark brown with two eyespotsEyespot (mimicry)
An eyespot is an eye-like marking. They are found on butterflies, reptiles, birds and fish. In members of the Felidae family , the white circular markings on the backs of the ears are termed ocelli, and they are functionally similar to eyespots in other animals.Eyespots may be a form of...
on the forewing with the upper larger than the lower.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
measures 39–44 mm (1.5–1.7 in). Flight period is from late June to late August.
Subspecies
The following subspecies are recognised:- C. s. paulus (Edwards, 1879)
- C. s. masoni Cross, 1937
Similar species
- Common Wood-nymphCommon Wood-NymphThe Common Wood-nymph is a North American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is also known as the Wood-nymph, Grayling, Blue-eyed Grayling, and the Goggle Eye.- Description :...
(Cercyonis pegala) – larger, eye-spots similar in size - Small Wood-nymph (Cercyonis oetusCercyonis oetusThe Small Wood-nymph or Dark Wood-nymph is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is found in Eastern North America.The wingspan is 32–45 mm...
) – lacks lower eye-spot in males, lower eye-spot is closer to margin than upper eye-spot in females
Range and distribution
Ranges over much of the western USA and reaches to southern British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada.