The northern pearly-eye butterfly waited for me on a rail.
This northern pearly-eye butterfly was sitting on the railing of a bridge when Jill and I were on a hike at the Weldon Spring Conservation Area just north of St. Louis, Missouri. This park provides a great view of the Missouri River. We took the Clark Trail which winds 2.5 miles down to the river's edge and provides a sweeping view of the river from high above the water.
We were on our way back when I spotted this interesting insect. There was a large group of us hiking that day, seven people if my memory serves me correctly. Amazingly the butterfly didn't budge as I approached it with my camera. I started snapping photos from about three feet away, and continued to get closer seeing how close it would let me get. This was one of the last photos that I took before it flew off into the forest.
Just like the monarch butterfly in this month's gallery, the northern pearly-eye butterfly has eyespots on its wings. I would imagine that these spots both help to intimidate potential predators as well as deflect any attacks based on their size and location on their wings. For all the Purdue and Pittsburgh fans out there, the yellow, black, and white circles are mesmerizing.
The scientific name of the northern pearly-eye is Lethe anthedon. The Lethe genus was formerly called the Enodia genus, which can make it difficult to find information about this particular species of butterfly. It is found throughout the United States and Canada. This species of butterfly is not as virulent of a pollinator as the monarch butterfly, as the adult butterfly feeds mainly on dung, fungi, carrion, and sap from willows. It can be found drinking nectar in the deciduous forests that it inhabits.
The northern pearly-eye's wings have yellow, black, and white spots.
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