Most of the butterflies that I have photographed this season have been in sunny fields, where they are attracted to wildflowers or other blooming vegetation. Last week while photowalking in Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I was thrilled to spot a butterfly that prefers a marshy woodland and captured this image of an Appalachian Brown butterfly (Satyrodes appalachia).
The colors of this butterfly species are quite subdued, when compared with those of a Monarch or an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, but I love the beautiful brown-on-brown patterns on the wings and the distinctive-looking series of eye spots. There are several similar butterflies with slightly different arrangements of eyespots. I am relatively confident that this one is an Appalachian Brown butterfly, but there is a chance that it is an Eyed Brown butterfly (Satyrodes eurydice).
As always, I defer to those with greater expertise in identification—I have been humbled multiple times when I have confidently made an identification and have been absolutely wrong.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Beautiful
Thanks, Patricia.
Beautiful butterfly and such a lovely and peaceful photo, Mike.
Thanks, Jet. There is a kind of minimalist feel to this image and a limited palette that help create that sense of serenity that you noted.
Very Nice Mike! Great Image! Do not think I have seen one of these! Very cool pattern on the wings!
Your beautiful collection is growing day by day…. nice picture !
The eye spots are lovely, like miniature versions of those on one of my favorities, the Polyphemus moth, but I also really like the wavy, darker-brown lines very much.
Eyespots have always fascinated me, both for their appearance and the function they play.
Beautiful with its series of eyes, Mike.
Thanks, Chris.
!! Lovely, whatever the experts call it 😉