Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala) is in the Brush-footed Butterflies family (Nymphalidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 21,600 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in July.
Seasonal pattern in the national data: summer visitor / breeder. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.
When to photograph Common Wood-Nymph: observations by month (U.S.)
About Common Wood-Nymph
The common wood-nymph (Cercyonis pegala) is a North American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is also known as the wood-nymph, grayling, blue-eyed grayling, and the goggle eye.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Common Wood-Nymph by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 1,551 | June | May–Jul |
| Ohio | 1,242 | July | Jun–Aug |
| Vermont | 1,212 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Massachusetts | 1,186 | July | Jul–Aug |
| New York | 1,014 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Wisconsin | 999 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Oregon | 955 | July | Jul–Aug |
| California | 878 | June | Jun–Aug |
| Virginia | 872 | July | Jul–Sep |
| Minnesota | 798 | July | Jul–Aug |
| New Hampshire | 793 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Michigan | 741 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Maine | 717 | August | Jul–Aug |
| North Carolina | 674 | July | Jun–Sep |
| Pennsylvania | 657 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Washington | 583 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Maryland | 550 | July | Jul–Sep |
| Idaho | 544 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Oklahoma | 506 | September | Jun–Oct |
| Illinois | 454 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Montana | 439 | July | Jul–Aug |
| New Jersey | 416 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Kansas | 408 | July | Jul–Sep |
| Colorado | 407 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Missouri | 369 | July | Jun–Sep |
| Arkansas | 280 | June | Jun–Oct |
| West Virginia | 220 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Connecticut | 199 | July | Jul–Aug |
| North Dakota | 198 | July | Jul–Jul |
| Tennessee | 189 | July | Jun–Sep |
| New Mexico | 168 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Georgia | 149 | July | Jun–Sep |
| Florida | 148 | September | Jun–Oct |
| Nebraska | 142 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Wyoming | 128 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Kentucky | 122 | July | Jun–Aug |
| South Dakota | 109 | July | Jul–Jul |
| Rhode Island | 88 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Alabama | 74 | September | Jun–Sep |
| South Carolina | 74 | July | Jun–Oct |
| Mississippi | 68 | July | Jun–Jul |
| Indiana | 60 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Louisiana | 59 | June | May–Oct |
| Iowa | 48 | July | Jun–Aug |
| Delaware | 47 | July | Jul–Sep |
| Utah | 36 | August | Jul–Aug |
| Arizona | 12 | July | Jul–Jul |
| Nevada | 11 | July | Jul–Aug |
| District of Columbia | 6 | July | Jun–Jul |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related butterflies (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Monarch
Gulf Fritillary
Common Buckeye
Red Admiral
Pearl Crescent
Painted Lady
American Lady
Variegated Fritillary
Photography tips
- Butterflies are sluggish on cool mornings — the best time for close approaches.
- Keep the sensor parallel to the wings for edge-to-edge sharpness.
- Nectar plants in bloom are reliable places to wait.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Common Wood-Nymph?
Nationally, July has the most observations, with the main season from July to August.
Where is Common Wood-Nymph most often seen?
The most observations come from Texas, Ohio, Vermont.