Coenonympha california (tullia) california

California Common Ringlet

This is a fairly common (aply named) satyr with a bouncing flight that can be found easily in open areas with the right native grasses. It's a handsome butterfly, with a range of light-to-dark forms, and small eyespots of various intensities to draw predators away from the vital areas. The satyrs sit uneasily within the Nymphalidae family, and have been considered to be their own family in the recent past. This ringlet is a good example of the "weirdness" of these nymphs: it feeds only on certains grasses; has a spineless, green or tan caterpillar with a kind of forked tail; and the pupa – roughly "nympalic" in shape - has odd markings that help it blend with the green blades of grass. Even the flight of the adult is a bit weak and floppy, in contrast to the more robust buckeyes, for instance.