page_title: Saint Francis' satyr
section_title: Life history and reproduction
hierarchical_section_title: Saint Francis' satyr / Life history and reproduction
caption_attribution_description: English: Mating pair of St. Francis' satyr Neonympha mitchellii francisci on Ft. Bragg
context_page_description: The Saint Francis' satyr is an endangered butterfly subspecies found only in the US state of North Carolina. First discovered in 1983, it was first described by David K. Parshall and Thomas W. Kral in 1989 and listed as a federally endangered species by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 1994. It is a subspecies of N. mitchellii and is restricted to a single metapopulation on Fort Bragg military base in Hoke and Cumberland counties. The other subspecies, Mitchell's satyr, is also federally endangered.
context_section_description: Adults live an average of three to four days. The subspecies is bivoltine, having two mating events per year. The first flight period occurs from late May to early June, and the second from late July to mid-August. Females deposit eggs individually or in small clusters that emerge as larvae in seven to ten days. Caterpillars that emerge in early summer period form a chrysalis after two months, while those that emerge in late summer period hibernate over winter and pupate the following spring. Pupation may take up to two weeks. There is little historical information on the life history of the butterfly. Because of this, current research is being done at Michigan State University and North Carolina State University to better understand the butterfly's role in its ecosystem.
caption: Mating
exif: {}