The Common Wood-Nymph butterfly blends naturally into tree bark and other woody bushes but is readily identifiable by the eye-like spots on the wings. Two yellow-ringed eyes with gold pupils in the center mark the top half of the right and left wings. Often, one more eyespot is found on the bottom half of both wings.

 

“Common Wood-Nymph” by Cam Miller, licensed under (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

 

Common Wood-Nymph Facts

Butterfly Family: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Satyrinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 1 3/4 – 3 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Large, sunny, grassy areas including prairies, open meadows, bogs, and old fields

 

Common Wood-Nymph Host and Nectar Plants

Host Plants:

• Purpletop Tridens
• Bluestem Grass
• Poverty Oat Grass
• Bluegrass

Nectar Plants:

• Mistflower
• Goldenrod
• Rotting Fruit