The Carolina Satyr is the most unadorned of the satyrs. Its muddy brown hindwings bear only subtle ripples and small, modest eyespots. When basking with wings fully open, the butterfly reveals no flash or pattern. Just a broad expanse of dull, gray, brown scales. Only the swollen veins on the forewings, which serve as vibration sensors, interrupt the monotony.

 

“Carolina Satyr Butterfly” by Gary Leavens, licensed under (CC BY-SA 2.0)

 

Carolina Satyrs Facts

Butterfly Family: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Satyrinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Grassy places and woodlands

 

🪴 Host Plants

These are the plants where females lay eggs and caterpillars feed:

• Beaked Panicum (Panicum anceps)

• Rosette Grasses (Dichanthelium spp.)

• St. Augustine Grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum)

 

🌸feeding behavior

Adult Carolina Satyr butterflies feed on:

• Dung

• Moisture from damp soil and leaf litter

• Rotting fruit

• Sap flows

They seldom visit flowers for nectar, as few flowers bloom in their shaded habitats.