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Photo by Todd Stout
Utah wood-nymph
Cercyonis pegala utahensis
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G5T2T3
State (S-rank): S2
External links
Phenology
Understanding for this specific subspecies is lacking, though other subspecies have a single adult flight at the end of June through mid September or August, depending on elevation (Scott, 2020). Adults may live between 5 and 24 days before ovipositing in the late summer; eggs take as long as 17 days to hatch, and first instar larvae overwinter (Scott, 2020; Stout, n.d.).
Species range
This species occurs in north/central Utah from Juab and Utah Counties north through Salt Lake, Weber, and Box Elder Counties to the Idaho state line (Austin, 1992). It occurs exclusively along the Wasatch Front, but does not fly within the Wasatch Range itself (T. Stout, personal communication).
Habitat
C. p. Utahensis flies along river channels, among willows and tall grass (Austin, 1992). In northern Utah, they have two primary habitats, those being valley rivers and agricultural fields; they are also associated with wetland complexes that develop near springs over long periods of time (T. Stout, personal communication; M. Wheeler, personal communication). Other subspecies are found in grassy areas in moist valley bottoms, and may prefer areas that are semi-shaded from bushes and trees (Scott, 2020).
Food habits
Larvae of this species feed on bunch grasses such as Andropogon, Danthonia, Poa, Schizachyrium, Tridens (RICP, n.d.; Stout, n.d.). Adult floral associations are not well documented in this subspecies; other subspecies will visit flowers of all colors in the families Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Ranunculaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, and Tamaricaceae (Scott, 2020). Adults may also feed on sap and rotten fruit when it is available.
Threats or limiting factors
Conservation of this species is currently limited by a lack of understanding regarding its life history and ecology. Even so, it is clear that there are several factors that are directly threatening the persistence of this species. Habitat destruction as a result of urban development is a major factor, both because it diverts water away from stream channels where the species is present, and because it converts agricultural meadows that the species uses to breed (Irvin, 2024; T. Stout, personal communication). There is some evidence to suggest that mosquito abatement efforts also cause mortality in caterpillars; more analysis is needed to quantify these effects. It is likely that ongoing drought in the western United States is also having some impact on this species, as waterways C. p. utahensis utilizes as habitat are being depleted.
This species is somewhat threatened simply by virtue of being a small, relatively fragmented population in a limited geographic area. Current understanding of this species’ life history and ecology is lacking; further monitoring and study will be critical components of conserving this imperiled subspecies in the future.
