Megisto cymela viola

(Maynard, 1891)

Viola's Wood-Satyr

Megisto cymela viola, known as Viola's Wood-Satyr, is a of wood-satyr in the Nymphalidae. It is currently treated as a synonym of Euptychia cymela. The subspecies was described by Maynard in 1891. Based on records from GBIF and iNaturalist, it has been documented in Vermont and other parts of the United States. As a member of the Satyrinae , it belongs to a group of butterflies commonly associated with woodland and shaded environments.

Megisto viola, Viola's Wood Satyr B1, LBESF, 3-29-08 (4732921598) by pondhawk from Winter Park, Florida, USA. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.Megisto viola, Viola's Wood Satyr A, LBESF, 3-29-08 (4732921622) by pondhawk from Winter Park, Florida, USA. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.Megisto cymela viola P1170106a by xpda. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Megisto cymela viola: /mɛˈɡɪstoʊ ˈsaɪmələ vaɪˈoʊlə/

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Distribution

Documented from Vermont, United States, with additional records from the broader US region according to GBIF distribution data. The specific range within the United States beyond Vermont is not well-delineated in available sources.

Host Associations

  • Poaceae - larval Wood-satyr butterflies in the Megisto typically utilize grasses as larval plants, though specific host records for M. c. viola are not documented.

Similar Taxa

  • Megisto cymela cymelaThe nominate of the Little Wood-Satyr; M. c. viola was described as a distinct subspecies based on presumably subtle morphological differences, but is now synonymized.
  • Euptychia cymelaCurrent accepted name for the ; M. c. viola has been synonymized under this name in modern taxonomic treatments.

More Details

Taxonomic Status

GBIF classifies this name as a synonym of Euptychia cymela. The Megisto has been synonymized with or subsumed under Euptychia in recent taxonomic revisions, though Megisto remains in use in some sources including iNaturalist.

Nomenclatural Note

The epithet 'viola' in the name refers to the describer (Charles Johnson Maynard), not to the plant Viola. This is a patronymic subspecies name.

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Sources and further reading