Common Wood-Nymph

For a primarily brown butterfly, the Common Wood-Nymph is frequently identifiable at a glance. That's because in my area they typically have a yellow patch on the forewings with a pair of eyespots on them.

I haven't spotted variations of this butterfly around here, but they do exist:

  • Sometimes the yellow patch is instead a tan color that's lighter than the rest of the wing, but far less eye-catching.
  • Sometimes instead of a yellow patch, the eyespots are in a round yellow ring instead. This field mark is a little harder to spot for a distance but is pretty distinctive. If you see it, you'll probably be able to ID it.
  • Sometimes there is no patch, though the eyepatch itself is still there.

August 3, 2021 at Washington Valley Park
Photo 149027513, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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