- Oeneis chryxus
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Chryxus Arctic Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Lepidoptera Family: Nymphalidae Genus: Oeneis Species: O. chryxus Binomial name Oeneis chryxus
Doubleday (1849)Subspecies - O. c. strigulosa (McDunnough, 1934)
- O. c. calais (Scudder, 1865)
- O. c. caryi (Dyar, 1904)
- O. c. valerata (Burdick, 1958)
- O. c. stanislaus (Hovanitz, 1937)
- Common names
- Chryxus Arctic, Brown Arctic
The Chryxus Arctic (Oeneis chryxus) is a butterfly, a species of Satyrinae that occurs in North America.
Contents
Description
The wingspan is 45 to 54 mm. The dorsal view is cream or brownish-orange. Forewing has 1-4 small black eyespots near the outer margin, then the hindwing has an additional 1-2. The males have a dark patch of sex scales on their forewings. The ventral view has black and white striations, a broad dark median band and veins of white scales. There is only one black spot near the lower inner margin of the wing.
Range and habitat
Eastern Alaska south through the higher elevated Mexican Rockies, east across Canada into Quebec, Wisconsin and Michigan. There is a small isolated population in the California Sierras. Within their habitat they are most commonly found on rocky hilltops, meadows and open woodlands.
Life cycle
There is only one brood and that occurs from May to June every year. They are more numerous in the Great Lakes region than elsewhere. The caterpillars take two years to completely develop, they hibernate as early instars during the first winter and the last instar completes the second winter.
Larval foods
- Danthonia spicata
Adult foods
- Nectar
- Mud
References
Categories:- Butterflies and moths of North America
- Oeneis
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