The Common Wood Nymph butterfly blends seamlessly with tree bark and woody shrubs, making it well camouflaged in its habitat. It is easily recognized by the eye-like spots on its wings. Two yellow-ringed eyespots with gold centers appear on the upper portion of each forewing, and a smaller eyespot is often present on the lower portion of each hindwing.
“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
🪴Host Plants
These are the plants where females lay eggs and caterpillars feed:
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Fescue (Festuca spp.)
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Orchard Grass (Dactylis glomerata)
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Purpletop (Tridens flavus)
🌸 Nectar Plants
Adult Common Wood-Nymph butterflies feed on nectar from a variety of native flowers:
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Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa)
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Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
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Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
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Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
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Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
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Ironweed (Vernonia spp.)
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Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum spp.)
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Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
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Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)