Mulberry Wing (Poanes massasoit [Scudder])
Wing span: 1 1/8 - 1 7/16 inches (2.9 - 3.7 cm).
Identification: Wings are dark brown to black, relatively short and rounded. Upperside has small (male) or larger (female) yellow spots. Underside of hindwing has a large irregular yellow patch; rare individuals are rust colored and have no patch.
Life history: Males patrol with a low, weak, meandering flight through marshes in search for receptive females.
Flight: One brood from late June to mid-August.
Caterpillar hosts: Uptight sedge (Carex stricta), and possibly others.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Freshwater marshes or bogs.
Range: New York and Massachusetts west across the Great Lakes states to southern Minnesota and North Dakota. A coastal population ranges from southern New Hampshire south to Maryland.
