Pearly Eye & Daisy

Northern Pearly-Eye (Enodia anthedon)

This subtly beautiful butterfly is best identified by the area in which it is found: the woods. It is relatively unusual to find large butterflies flying in woods or forests, and if the insect is pale brown, has round "eye spots" bordering the wings, and tends to land vertically on tree trunks, then there is a good chance it is a pearly eye or one of its close relatives.

These pretty butterflies do have a somewhat unattractive habit: They like to feed on roadkill. I once found a big male happily feeding on a very dead possum on a lonely West Virginia forest road. Not the most appealing setting for such a pretty insect, but that's Nature for you.

The Basics:

What is the scientific name? Enodia anthedon
What does it eat? Roadkill and various grasses
Will it seriously damage plants or trees? No
Is it rare? No, these species have a wide range, although they are not often encountered due to their habits.
Where does it occur? This species occurs throughout the eastern US.
Can you raise it from caterpillar to adult? Yes, if you give it plenty of the food plant you found it on (preferably not roadkill!).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethe_anthedon