Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Leanira Checkerspot butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Alvord Basin, Harney Co, May 31 - ssp. basinensis Leanira Checkerspot Chlosyne leanira Size: Up to 2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Two distinct subspecies . Ssp. oregonensis is black above, with pale ivory spots, sometimes with red spots on FW tips. Below, FW orange with pale ivory spots, and submarginal band of ivory and black, often with a gap. HW below white with black veins and submarginal band of white spots surrounded by black. Ssp. basinensis is orange above with black veins, submarginal band of pale orange spots. Below similar to oregonensis , with bolder, wider black border to submarginal spot band. Similar species: Below, neither subspecies is similar to other Oregon butterfly species. Above, C. l. oregonensis is similar to some small, dark individuals of Snowberry Checkerspot, note pattern below. Host plant: Paintbrush species (Castilleja ) . Habitat/Range: Ssp oregonensis found in canyons and hillsides near streams in SW Oregon. Ssp. basinensis found in desert hills and sage flats in SE Oregon. Season: Early May to late July Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Pacific Fritillary butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Butte Disappointment, Lane Co, May 24 Pacific Fritillary Boloria selene AKA Western Meadow Fritillary Size: Up to 1.75 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above orange with thin black veins, black scaling near the body, black irregular lines inwardly, and bands of black spots and submarginal chevrons that point toward wing edge. Below HW has cream and orange patches edged in dark brown-orange on inner half, outer half is vague pattern of mauve, lavender, and brownish spots. Similar species: Silver-Bordered has very limited range, bolder black marginal pattern above with submarginal triangles pointing inward, bolder pattern on HW below. Host plant: Violets (Viola ) . Habitat: Meadows and lush open habitats, forest clearings, riparian areas. Range: Found throughout western Oregon, in Klamath Mtns, Warner Mtns, Wallowa Mtns and Blue Mtns. Season: Late March to L September. Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure .

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Blue Copper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Ditch Cr Rd, Morrow Co, July 7 - male Blue Copper Tharsalea heteronea AKA Lycaena heteronea Size: 1.25 - 1.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Male above bright blue with black veins, black border and white fringe. Female above blueish gray with small black spots. Female HW below white with light spots; FW below with black spots. Male similar below but with lighter or no spots on HW. Similar species: Male is larger and faster-flying than similar blues. Female somewhat similar to Ruddy Copper, which has orange zigzag above and orange wash below. Host plant: Buckwheat (Eriogonum ) species. Habitat: High sagelands, grasslands, montane and subalpine slopes and ridges, canyons and plateaus . Range: Cascade Mtns and eastern Oregon except Columbia River drainage in Gilliam, Morrow and Umatilla counties. Season: Early May to early September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the California Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Eight Dollar Mountain Rd, Josephine Co, June 4 California Hairstreak Satyrium californica Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Dark gray-brown above. Below, lighter gray-brown with median black spot band lightly edged with white. On HW below, black v-shaped or checkmark-shaped spot next to blue patch below tail. Inner edge of blue patch on hindwing often bordered by orange. HW (and often FW) below has submarginal band of black lines or checks edged outwardly with orange. Similar species: Sylvan HS is generally more lightly marked, lacks the black V-shaped spot next to the blue HW patch (checkmark or dash instead), and orange halos only on two or three submarginal black crescents on HW . Host plant: Primarily Purshia tridentata (Antelope bitterbrush) and Ceanothus velutinus (Snowbrush) . Habitat: Buckbrush scrub, oak woodlands, canyons. Range: East slope of Cascades, most of SE and SW Oregon, Wallowa Mtns. Season: Early May to early September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Gorgon Copper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Mt. Ashland Rd, Jackson Co, July 15 Gorgon Copper Tharsalea gorgon AKA Lycaena gorgon Size: 1.25 - 1.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Male above coppery orange, with not spots, with purple irridescence when fresh. Female above light coppery orange with black spots, crescents and margins. Below HW grayish white with black spots, and submarginal row of black chevrons with orange borders. Similar species: Ground color of Great Copper above is more gray; below Great Copper lacks band of chevrons with orange borders below. Edith's is smaller and has brown spots below. Purplish Copper is smaller and has fewer and smaller black spots below. Host plant: Eriogonum nudum (bare-stemmed buckwheat). Habitat: Meadows, open areas along streams, roadsides. Range: Found in Siskiyou Mtns, Klamath Mtns, and Warner Mtns. Season: Late May to mid-August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for Small Wood Nymph. Gallery Prev Next Newberry Caldera, Deschutes Co, July 16 Small Wood Nymph Cercyonis oetus AKA Dark Wood Nymph Size: Up to 1.75 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above gray-brown with one or two eye spots on FW. Below, striated brown with one to several small eyespots on HW, two eyespots on FW upper one usually much larger than lower, lower spot closer to wing margin than upper, lower spot sometimes missing. Dark median line on HW erratically jagged--much more so than on other Wood Nymphs in our area. Similar species: Great Basin Wood Nymph is larger, has more prominent bands below, lower eyespot only slightly smaller than upper, HW median line less jagged. Sylvan Wood Nymph plainer, with HW median line less jagged. Host plant: Undetermined grass species . Habitat: Grassy habitats including sage-steppe, plateaus, montane meadows and dry hillsides. Range: Eastern Oregon. Season: Late May to late September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Gold-hunters Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Kinney Cr Rd, Jackson Co, May 26 Thank you to Dana Ross and Paul Hammond, volunteers at OSAC! Gold-hunter's Hairstreak Satyrium auretorum Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Light brown above. Slightly darker brown below with variable uneven spot bands, and submarginal band of black chevrons, female more strongly marked. Tail barely noticeable, with adjacent blue frosted patch, and one or two of the chevrons with a small orange patch. Similar species: Somewhat similar to Hedgerow HS, which has more defined median line on HW below. Mountain Mahogany HS is more grayish below, often with a more frosted look. Host plant: Oaks (Quercus ), primarily Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana ) . Habitat: Oak-pine stands and shrubby habitats near oaks. Range: Along California border in Jackson County and SE Klamath County. Season: Early June to mid-July Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Mardon Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Soda Mtn Rd, Jackson Co, July 5 - ssp. klamathensis Mardon Skipper Polites mardon Size: Up to 1 inch wingspan Key ID features: Compact, rounded wings. Above orange and brown, males with small stigmata. HW below brown with neat arc of yellow bars forming a curved band, and one or two additional light spots near wing base . Similar species: HW pattern below is somewhat similar to Sonoran Skipper, which has longer, narrower wings and HW spots that are more rounded and less distinct. Host plant: Grass species, especially fescues, including Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis ), red fescue (Festuca rubra ) and Roemer's fescue (Festuca roemeri ). Habitat: Ponderosa pine openings, Ceanothus patches. Range: Coastal Curry County, Cascade Siskiyou National Monument. Season: Mid-May to early August Abundance: Rare Conservation Status: Federal Species of Concern; designated Imperiled in Oregon

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Behr's Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Sand Creek, Klamath Co, July 1 Behr's Hairstreak Satyrium behrii Size: 0.8 - 1.0 inches wingspan Key ID features: Both sexes orange-brown above. Below, gray-brown with white edged black markings against gray on HW. FW below mousy brown with small submarginal spot bands. Very short stubby tails or no tails. Similar species: May be confused with a Hedgerow HS, which has more prominent, white-tipped tails, with an adjacent blue patch and a darker brown ground color. Host plant: Antelope bitterbrush (Purshiana tridentata ) . Habitat: Shrub-steppe, canyons, riparian areas, canyons, oak-pine forests. Range: Siskiyou Mtns, east slope of Cascades, and most of Oregon east of the Cascades except for Blue Mtns. Season: Early May to early September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Ruddy Copper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Williams Prairie, Crook Co, July 26 - male Ruddy Copper Tharsalea rubidus AKA Lycaena rubidus Size: 1.1 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Male above very bright coppery orange, with few small dark spots . Female above brownish gray orange with black spots, and submarginal spot band, often with orange submarginal zigzag line. Female HW below white with orange wash with very light spots; FW below light orange with black spots. Male similar below with lighter ground color. Similar species: No other Oregon butterfly is as bright orange as the male. Female somewhat similar to Blue Copper, which lacks the orange zigzag above and the orange wash below. Host plant: Dock (Rumex ) species. Habitat: Riparian habitast (near water), including wet montane meadows. Range: Southeastern Oregon, and east of Cascade Mtns from Ochoco Mtns south. Season: Mid-May to late 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

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Nevada Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next E Camp Cr Rd, Baker Co, June 22 Thank you to Dana Ross and Paul Hammond , volunteers at OSAC! Nevada Skipper Hesperia nevada Size: Up to 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, bright tan-orange, dark wing borders fade into orange. Below dark gray-green with disjointed white spot band, with lowest white patch on outer band dramatically displaced inwardly. Similar species: Juba and Western Branded skippers also have the lowest white spot in the outer band displaced inwardly, but not nearly as much. Host plant: Grass species, including western needlegrass (Achnatherum occidentale ). Habitat: Sage-steppe plateaus, and ridge and peak summits, usually above 4500 feet. Range: Warner Mtns, Baker County, north end of Malheur County, south portion of Grant, Crook and Deschutes counties. Season: Early May to late July Abundance: Locally common Conservation Status: Secure