An unusual butterfly that I seldom see, Gemmed Satyr (Cyllopsis gemma). Its native range is Virginia south to Florida, west to the eastern third of Texas, south to Guatemala.

With a wingspan of about 1.5 inches, those wings contain a fascinating feature. The ventral (underside) hindwing has black reflective spots which make me think of a cute Jumping Spider waiting to scare off predators with its big bright eyes.

The larval host of this Satyr is uncertain but has been speculated to be Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon) and other grasses. Adults aren’t attracted to flowers but to tree sap and rotting or overripe fruit. Something that I’ve been known to put out on my back porch to attract butterflies.

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