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Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Northern White Skipper. Gallery Prev Next Baldy Cr Rd, Jackson Co, June 28 (new county record) - male Northern White Skipper Heliopetes ericetorum Size: Up to 2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above pearly-white, with "chains" of dark brown chevrons along wing margins, light on males, bolder and more extensive on females . Below white with irregular vague bands of light tan, pinkish brown or mustard. Similar species: No other similar species in Oregon. Host plant: Various species in the globemallow family. Habitat: Various habitats in arid areas including riverbanks, canyons, roadsides, lower elevation forest openings, weedy fields and alfalfa fields. Range: Primarily Columbia, Deschutes, Snake River and Owyhee river basins, but also recent records in southern Lake and Jackson counties. Season: Early May to early October Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Butterflies of Oregon has exquisite photos and information about all of Oregon's native butterfly species, covering the identification, distribution and biology of each species. A lively blog provides seasonal stories and updates from the field. Butterflies of Oregon Welcome to Butterflies of Oregon, a resource for Oregon butterfly enthusiasts, with photos of all of Oregon's regularly occurring butterfly species and information to help you find and identify them. Butterflies of Oregon also shares stories of the author's attempt to photograph all of Oregon's butterfly species in the wilds of Oregon. Thanks for visiting! www.butterfliesoforegon.com Subscribe to Blog Thanks for submitting! Email Us

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Chalcedona Checkerspot butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Kinney Cr Rd, Jackson Co, May 26 Chalcedona Checkerspot Euphydryas chalcedona Size: Up to 2.75 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above black with alternating red and white spot bands separated by black lines. HW below has red and white bands, which, from the margin run red-white-red-white-white. Submarginal spot band on dorsal HW has larger pale ivory spots than other similar species. Similar species: Edith's checkerspot has red-white-red-red-white band pattern on HW below. Snowberry Checkerspot has smaller spots in the submarginal band on the dorsal HW, often more red on forewing, and longer forewings. Hostplant: Several species in the figwort family, including paintbushes (Castilleja ), penstemons, and monkeyflowers . Habitat: Mountains and high canyons. Range: Warner Mtns, southern Klamath Mtns and in Jackson and Josephine counties along the border with CA . Season: Late April to early August Abundance: Locally common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Lareg Marble butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Hat Point Rd, Wallowa Co, June 30 Large Marble Euchloe ausonides Size: Up to 1.75 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above, milk-white with black pattern on FW tip and narrow black bar in forewing cell, sometimes with light white scaling. Below, bold green marbling with yellow wash against white background and yellow veins. Similar species: California Marble and Desert Marble are smaller. California Marble has pearly or shiny look to white areas on VHW, and green marbling is often darker. Desert Marble lacks white scaling on forewing cell bar, and DFW tip markings often black rather than dark gray. Host plant: Many cruciferous species. Habitat: Open montane and foothill slopes, dry meadows and canyons, sage steppe habitats. Range: All of eastern Oregon and southwestern Oregon south of Douglas County. Season: Late March to late July Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Spring Azure butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Fitton Green, Linn County, March 26 Echo Azure Celastrina echo AKA Pacific Azure Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Male lilac-blue above, with no black markings. Female dusky-blue, with few marginal spots ringed with gray, FW with dark bands on outer edge. Below, bright gray-white, with very light marginal band of chevrons, and small black spots. Below, gray discal bars on both FW and HW. Similar species: Light markings below with no tails or orange spots distinctive and usually easy to distinguish from other blues. Host plant: Many shrub species including red osier dogwood, elderberry, madrone, snowbrush, and oceanspray . Habitat: Shrubby habitats and riparian areas. Range: Most of Oregon except dry basin and range areas on the east side of Cascade Mtns. Season: Late February to early October Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for Common Alpine. Gallery Prev Next Coyle Cr Rd, Crook Co, June 29 Common Alpine Erebia epipsodea AKA Butler's Alpine Size: Up to 2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above very dark brown with orange patches containing small black eyespots with white centers--two closely spaced eyespots and sometime two or more additional smaller eyespots on FW, three to five eyespots on HW. Below similar to above, but with HW having a slightly grizzled or rough look compared to clean dark brown above. Similar species: None. Host plant: Grasses including Foxtail bristlegrass (Setaria italica ) . Habitat: Grassy habitats including sage-steppe, plateaus, montane meadows and dry hillsides. Range: Northeastern Oregon in Ochoco Mtns, Wallowa Mtns, Blue Mtns. Season: Early May to early August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Northern Checkerspot butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Crane Cr, Lake Co, May 30 - male Northern Checkerspot Chlosyne palla Size: Up to 1.75 inch wingspan Key ID features: Highly variable. Male above, bands of orange and sometimes yellow-orange, separated by black lines, crescents and checks . Female often darker than male above. Below bands of off-white and brick red with black veins and edges. Often on HW below, submarginal red band has yellowish centers in red spots. Similar species: Sagebrush Checkerspot pure white rather than off-white below. Hoffman's Checkerspot darker basally on HW above. Host plant: Not well-documented, but likely species in the aster family . Habitat: Sage desert, pinyon-juniper savanna, washes, gulches, canyons and brushy flats. Range: Meadows, roadsides, streambanks, clearings . Season: Late March to early August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Directory with photos and links for all of Oregon's butterflies in the skipper family.

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Arrowhead Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Gert Canyon, Wasco Co, May 4, female Arrowhead Blue Glaucopsyche piasus Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Noticeably larger than most blues. Violet-blue above, with dark wing borders, white checked fringes. Below brownish-gray, HW with white arrows pointing toward median band of black spots. Similar species: No other Oregon blue has white arrows on HW below pointing toward body. Host plant: Lupine species (Lupinus ) Habitat: Open areas with lupines in sage-steppe, ponderosa pine stands, canyons and wet meadows. Range: Most of Oregon east of the Cascade Range and in SW Oregon. Season: Early April to late August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Common Sootywing butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Jones Canyon, Wasco County, May 4 Common Sootywing Pholisora catullus Size: Up to 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Small. Above very dark brown to black with several small white spots near FW wingtip, row of tiny submarginal white spots on FW and HW. Below deep brown-black with a few white spots near the tip of the FW. Head mostly white. Similar species: Common Roadside Skipper is browner, with checked wing fringes. Dun Skipper much lighter, lacks white FW spots above and below. Host plant: Weedy species in the goosefoot family, such as lamb's quarters, goosefoot, pigweed, etc . Habitat: Disturbed weedy areas, shrub desert, alkali flats, and along waterways. Range: In north half of state, east of the Cascade Range and north of Crook County. In south half of state, east of Lake County. Season: Late March to early September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Pelidne Sulphur butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Bonny Lakes Trail, Wallow Co, August 2 Pelidne Sulphur Colias skinneri AKA: Skinner's Sulphur Skinner's Pelidne Sulphur Size: 1.25 - 1.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Smallish. Above lemon yellow, with solid dark brown to black borders. Below, HW dusted with black over-scaling, sometimes giving olive cast. On HW below, discal spot is small, thickly-rimmed in rose or reddish brown. Forewing also has more black over-scaling than other sulphurs in Oregon . Wing edges have a narrow rose-colored band (not pink). Similar species: This species has more extensive black overscaling on the VFW, which extends further from the FW leading edge. Clouded Sulphurs have double ring around discal spot on HW below. Western Sulphurs look greenish on HW below. Pink-edged Sulphurs have more rounded wings, and have much less overscaling below and have pink wing borders. Host plant: Various species of Vaccinium (huckleberry). Habitat: High forest clearings and moist meadows with Vaccinium . Range: In Oregon, only found in Wallowa Mtns and on Steens Mtn. Season: L ate June to early-September Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Sylvan Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Frissell Ridge, Lane Co, July 17 Sylvan Hairstreak Satyrium sylvinus Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Warm, toasty brown above. Below, lighter gray-brown with median pale black spot band. On HW below, dash or checkmark spot next to blue patch below tail. Blue patch not edged in orange inwardly. HW and FW below with vague submarginal band of black lines, only two or three of which are edged outwardly with orange near tail. Similar species: California HS is generally more boldly marked, has black V-shaped spot next to the blue patch (not checkmark or dash), has orange on the inward edge of the HW blue patch, and has orange halos on black crescents along most of the outer margin below, often including the forewing . Host plant: Willows (Salix sp.) . Habitat: Meadows, willow stands, and canyon slopes near water. Range: East slope of Cascades, most of SE and SW Oregon except Gilliam, Morrow and Umatilla counties and Wallowa Mtns. Season: Early May to mid-September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure