Common Ringlet
Coenonympha california
Instead of flying high, they flutter just inches above the grass tips to stay hidden from hungry birds.
- Scientific name
- Coenonympha california
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Nymphalidae › Coenonympha
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Grassy meadows, open hillsides, forest edges, and roadsides.
- Diet
- Adults feed on flower nectar (especially composites); caterpillars feed on native grasses and sedges.
- Range
- Western North America, Pacific Northwest, California
- Size
- Wingspan of 32 to 45 mm
- Lifespan
- 6 to 12 months (mostly spent as egg, larva, and pupa; adults live only 1 to 2 weeks)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat destruction from urban development, intensive mowing, and widespread pesticide use.
- Safe to approach?
- Completely harmless. Enjoy watching its bouncy flight from a close distance. Avoid touching its delicate wings, as losing wing scales can impair its ability to fly.
Coenonympha california , also known as the California ringlet or common ringlet , is a species of butterfly native to North America. Although it has previously been considered a subspecies of Coenonympha tullia , genetic testing suggests it is a separate species. Larvae feed on grasses.
Photo: Nick Block, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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