Hodges#4574.1

Hermeuptychia intricata

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Satyrinae
Tribe: Satyrini
Genus: Hermeuptychia
Species: intricata

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Hermeuptychia intricata: /hɜːr.maɪˈʌptɪ.kiə ˌɪn.trɪˈkɑːtə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Intricate Satyr (29744402924) by Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Hermeuptychia intricata male by Cong Q, Grishin NV. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

Hermeuptychia intricata female by Cong Q, Grishin NV. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

Summary

Hermeuptychia intricata, known as the Intricate Satyr, is a butterfly species within the Nymphalidae family, notable for its intricate ventral wing patterns and specific habitat preferences in the eastern United States.

Physical Characteristics

Length of the forewings is 16.5 mm; larvae are green with a yellow hue, a faint mid-dorsal stripe, shallowly forked tail, and a round cleft head that is a shade darker than the body.

Identification Tips

Identification requires examination of male genitalia for the pointed shape of the male uncus and the morphology of the sinuous lines on the ventral surface of the hindwing. The postmedian line (PML) on the ventral hindwing is essential for identification, with a distinct bulge around vein M3 for H. intricata.

Habitat

Commonly found in hardwood ephemeral wetlands with perpetually moist soils and dense grassy vegetation, including floodplains, bottomlands, and isolated wooded low areas.

Distribution

Coastal plains of the eastern United States, recorded from Texas, Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Diet

Larvae feed on fresh growth of forest grasses, particularly Dichanthelium commutatum and Chasmanthium laxum. Adults are predicted to feed on tree sap.

Life Cycle

Adults emerge asynchronously from Carolina Satyrs, with multiple broods per year. Offspring of the fall brood overwinter as larvae on host plants and begin pupation in late winter or spring.

Reproduction

Females lay eggs singly on the new growth of woodland grasses in proximity to ephemeral wetlands.

Evolution

First officially recognized as distinct from H. sosybius and described in 2014. Geographic variations in morphology observed between populations in FL, TX, and SC.

Similar Taxa

H. sosybius

Misconceptions

Identification can be challenging without photographic evidence of the male dorsal forewing or examination of the genitalia, leading to tentative identifications in some cases.