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Polygonia satyrus Hübner, [1819]
Anglewings; Satyr Anglewing
Family: Nymphalidae (Brushfoots)
Species account authors: Crispin Guppy and Jon Shepard.
Extracted from Butterflies of British Columbia.
Introduction to the Lepidoptera of BC
Introduction to the Butterflies of BC
The Families of Lepidoptera of BC

Photograph

© james miskelly     (Photo ID #6495)

Map

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Distribution of Polygonia satyrus in British Columbia.
(Click on the map to view a larger version.)
Source: Butterflies of British Columbia by Crispin Guppy and Jon Shepard © Royal BC Museum

Species Information


Adult

Satyr Anglewings are the most common anglewing in most areas of BC. The upperside of the wings is brightly golden brown; only the Grey Comma is more golden. Males are darker on the upperside of the wings than females, and the underside of the wings is a variegated grey brown. Females are tan-coloured on the underside of the wings; the basal half of the wings is darker than the outer half.

Immature Stages

Eggs have 10-12 vertical ribs (Scott 1988) and are whitish, turning lead-coloured with the head showing as a jet-black spot on top at maturity. Mature larvae have black angular heads that are bilobed, with a spiny tubercle at the top of each lobe. The body is black with a dorsal row of spines and three rows of spines on the sides. There is a broad white or green white band on the back that includes the dorsal and subdorsal rows of spines. The white band has a fine V-shaped black mark around each dorsal spine. The bottom row of spines is also green white along the middle portion of the body. In mature larvae in Colorado, the white areas are yellow in colour (Scott 1988). Pupae are tan or straw-coloured and sometimes yellowish on the back, rarely brown allover. The projection in the middle of the back of the thorax, and the projections in a row down the back of the abdomen, are much taller than in our other anglewings (Edwards 1868-72; Scott 1988; GAH).

Subspecies

None. The type locality of the species is Empire, CO. The subspecies name neomarsayas dos Passos, 1969 (TL:Salmon Meadows, Okanogan Co., WA) is a synonym of the nominate subspecies.

Genus Description


The name Polygonia comes from the Greek polygonos (many-angled), and it is very appropriate as the wings of these insects are adorned with many indentations that produce an almost ragged appearance. The common name was first used by Holland (1898) in reference to the Latin name and the many angles along the edge of the wings.

Anglewings are generally medium-sized butterflies. The wings are orange brown with black markings on the upperside, and bark- or leaf-patterned on the underside. The edges of the wings are ragged in appearance. Males and females usually have quite different patterns on the underside of the wings, with the female pattern being plainer. There are about 15 species worldwide.

Eggs are laid singly on the underside of leaves of the foodplants. The eggs are cream in colour, later turning dark as the larva matures inside. Mature larvae are variably coloured but usually resemble bird droppings; they have numerous branching spines. Anglewing adults hibernate in sheltered areas such as hollow trees or stumps, debris piles, house crawl spaces, or barns.

Biology


Satyr Anglewings are bivoltine on the south coast, probably bivoltine in the Southern Interior, and likely univoltine elsewhere in BC. South coast adults that hibernate lay eggs on young stinging nettle in April and May. These eggs hatch within 7-10 days, and the next generation of adults emerges about two months later, in June. More eggs are laid, and adults emerge in July and August. These adults do not reproduce immediately but instead hibernate. Larvae are easily found on stinging nettle in leaves folded into "tents." Both males and females feed on tree sap in the fall and sap from broken willow branches in early spring; they also mud-puddle (CSG; JHS).

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) and hops (Humulus lupulus) are used as larval foodplants in BC, with eggs being laid on the stems and the underside of the leaves (Dyar 1904b; Harvey 1908; Jones 1933; CSG; GAH). Hops are grown in the Lower Fraser Valley of BC.

Habitat


Satyr Anglewings occur throughout BC in riparian areas and other moist habitats that support stinging nettle, especially open deciduous forests. They could become a common suburban butterfly if patches of stinging nettle are encouraged on vacant land and in out-of-the-way areas of parks and gardens.

Distribution

Distribution

Satyr Anglewings are found across southern CAN and northern USA. They are also found south to CA and NM, almost to the Mexican border.

Status Information

Origin StatusProvincial StatusBC List
(Red Blue List)		COSEWIC
NativeS5YellowNot Listed



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