Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Mariposa Copper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Scott Lake, Lane Co, August 10 Mariposa Copper Tharsalea mariposa AKA Lycaena mariposa Size: 1 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Male above brown with purple iridescence when fresh. Female above bright orange with black spots and borders. HW below silver-gray like weathered wood with black chevrons. FW below orange-brown with black spots, gray-brown border, submarginal row of black chevrons bordered in white. Similar species: Silver-gray HW below is distinctive, lacking spots or orange. Host plant: Huckleberries (Vaccinium ). Habitat: Mountain meadows, sunny roadsides, lake edges . Range: Cascade Range, Ochoco Mtns, Blue Mtns, Wallowas Mtns. 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 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 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 Lupine Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Frissell Ridge, Lane Co, July 18 - male Lupine Blue Icaricia lupini Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Male blue above with narrow black marginal band and white fringe, on HW red-orange band above marginal row of black spots, often with narrow darker band between orange and blue. Female brown above with darker marginal line and white fringe on FW, on HW broad orange band above row of dark brown marginal spots. Below, male light bluish gray, female brownish gray, with black spots. HW has row of marginal spots that are black inwardly, then orange, and outwardly black with a circle of iridescent blue. Similar species: Acmon Blue very similar, but tends to be smaller, and on males, tends to lack dark border between pinkish-orange band and blue on HW above. Note shorter flight season of Lupine Blue below. Host plant: Several Buckwheat (Eriogonum ) species . Habitat: Wide range of habitats, from sea level lowlands to montane habitats. Range: Found in all of eastern Oregon and SW Oregon and on Rickreall Ridge in Polk County. The high elevation segregate (AKA Volcano Blue) is found in high elevation pumice habitat near its host plant, Shasta Buckwheat. Season: Late May to early August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Anna's Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Crescent Mtn, Linn Co, August 8 - male (L), female (R) Anna's Blue Plebejus anna Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Male shiny violet-blue above with black marginal band and white fringe. Female brown above with scalloped orange marginal band, clearer and bolder on HW. Below, light bluish gray with tiny black spots, with row of orange checks, bordered inwardly with black and a small, light patch of iridescent blue, lighter and less clear (or absent) on FW. Similar species: Male Acmon and Lupine Blues have orange band on HW above, and females of those species have no orange on FW above. Melissa Blue has much brighter orange borders and bolder iridescent patches on HW below. Northern Blues not found in Cascades. Host plant: Legumes, especially lupines and lotuses . Habitat: Moist, cool montane meadows and forest openings, and dry meadows among conifers, usually above 3000 ft. Range: Found in Cascade Range, Siskiyou Mtns, Klamath Mtns and Warner Mtns. Season: Early June to mid-October Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Mustard White butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Plunkett Cr, Benton Co, July 31 Mustard White Pieris marginalis AKA Margined White Size: 1.25 - 1.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above milky-white, with black shading basally (near the thorax). Below, hindwing veins faintly lined with brownish back bands. Summer brood males usually nearly pure white. Similar species: Cabbage White has black spot in center of FW. Host plant: Cresses, toothworts and other mustard species. Habitat: Openings in moist forests, usually coniferous. Range: Throughout western Oregon west of the Cascades, and in Ochoco, Wallowa Blue, and Warner Mtns. Season: Late March to early October Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Uncas Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Millican Flats, Deschutes Co, June 24 Uncas Skipper Hesperia uncas Size: Up to 1.4 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, male brownish orange darker wingtips with light orange spots. Above female brown with jagged row of light orange spots. Below dark greenish gray with lighter veins, and disjointed white bands joined by thin vein lines. Similar species: Sandhill Skipper has light veins below but they are tan or yellowish. Nevada Skipper lacks light veins, and has the lowest segment of the outer spot band strongly offset on HW below. Host plant: Grass species. Indian ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides ) is suspected in Oregon. Habitat: Sage-steppe, hot dry plains, alkali basins, arid canyons. Range: Far southeast corner of Harney and Malheur counties, alkali and sage flats in southern Crook and northern Jefferson counties. Season: Late May to late June Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Orange Sulphur butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Upper Mule Prairie, Lane Co, August 2 - male Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme Size: 1.3 - 2.3 inches wingspan Key ID features: Males above, bright orange with unbroken black border. Females above either bright orange or greenish white with "window" spots breaking up black border. Below, central pearly "discal" spot on HW with small satellite spot, and two pinkish-brown rings, and submarginal row of black or brown "eurytheme spots." Similar species: Western Sulphur and Clouded Sulphur are lemony yellow, lacking orange. White females difficult to separate from Clouded Sulphur, but often HW border is stronger in female Orange Sulphur. Host plant: Many species in the pea family. Habitat: Most commonly seen in meadows, pastures, fields and other open habitats. Range: Throughout Oregon Season: Late March to early November Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Butterflies of Oregon has exquisite photos and information about all of Oregon's native butterfly species, with information about the biology, distribution and identification of each species. A lively blog provides seasonal stories and updates from the field. Butterflies of Oregon New Book Now Available ! 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 Weidemeyer's Admiral butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Arizona Cr, Pueblo Mtns, Harney Co, July 3 Weidemeyer's Admiral Limenitis weidemeyerii Size: Up to 3.5 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above black with broad white band through FW and HW, small white patches near wingtips. Often with submarginal band of small white spots, and sometimes band of slightly larger orange spots just below white band on HW. Below bold white band through both wings, with bands of blue-gray and lavender crescents and dark red-brown patches. Similar species: Superficially similar to Lorquin's Admiral, but lacks orange wingtips of that species. Hybridizes with Lorquin's Admiral, showing mix of traits from both species--see photos of form Friday . Hostplant: Aspen (Populus tremuloides ), Willow ( Salix ) species, and shrubs in the rose family . Habitat: Along or near waterways with willow and aspen. Range: Found in Pueblo Mtns, Trout Cr Mtns, and Owyhee canyons in SE Oregon. Season: Early June to late September. Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for Great Basin Wood Nymph. Gallery Prev Next Picture Rock Pass, Lake Co, Aug 5 Great Basin Woodnymph Cercyonis sthenele Size: Up to 2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, brown or gray-brown with two eye spots on FW, lower eye slightly smaller, otherwise plain. Below, silvery striated brown with one to several small eyespots on HW, two large eyespots on FW (lower one smaller as above), but nearly equidistant from FW margin. Dark median line below lobed, but smoother than in Small Wood Nymph. Similar species: Small Wood Nymph is smaller, and HW median line below is more erratically jagged. Host plant: Undetermined grass species . Habitat: Sage-steppe, bunchgrass prairie, pinyon-juniper stands, ponderosa pine lands, oak-lined canyons. Range: Eastern Oregon, Siskiyou Mtns, Cascade Range from Lane County south. Season: Late June to late 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