Mitchell's satyr

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Neonympha mitchelli michelli

Type: invertebrate

Status:

Species Guide

Mitchell's satyr

Neonympha mitchelli michelli

Species Type: invertebrate

Conservation Status:

Identification

A small (1.5 in. wingspan) brown-ish butterfly. It is identified by the presence of a continuous series of five yellow-ringed dark “eye spots” (ocelli) on the underside of the wings.

Distribution & Habitat

Distribution and Habitat

The Mitchell’s satyr is one of the rarest butterflies in North America. Besides, New Jersey it only occurs in Michigan and Ohio. It has only been documented at two to three locations in northern New Jersey. It has not been observed since 1988.
It occupies limestone (calcareous) wet meadows and fens that feature a dense cover of sedges and scattered shrubs.

Diet

Caterpillars feed on sedges of the genus Carex; mostly Tussock Sedge (Carex stricta), which flourish in open wetlands. It is unclear whether adults feed at all, because of their short flight period. If they do feed it would be on fermenting sap or rotting fruit.

Life Cycle

The Mitchell’s satyr only flies for a brief period that ranges from late June through mid-July. During that brief period adults mate, lay eggs, and then die. Then the cycle starts again. They generally fly during warm (80oF), overcast days. Males patrol wet meadows while looking for mates. Eggs hatch within 7 to 11 days and the caterpillars feed on sedges through late summer. In fall the larvae go into dormancy (diapause) and resume feeding the following spring. They pupate in June into adults and continue the cycle.