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Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Common Checkered Skipper. Gallery Prev Next Illinois River Rd, Josephine Co, April 23 Common Checkered Skipper Burnsius communis Size: Up to 1 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, very dark brown, with gray shading basally on FW, boldly checked fringes and numerous bright white patches (longer than on Two-Banded) . Overall lighter than Two-Banded due to more white patches. Below large white patches, with jagged brown bands, edged in darker brown. Similar species: Two-Banded Checkered Skipper is darker, has fewer white spots above and less white below. Host plant: Various species in the mallow family. Habitat: Found in a wide variety of habitats, both disturbed and undisturbed. Range: All of Oregon except the far NW corner. Season: Mid-April to mid-September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for Great Arctic. Gallery Prev Frissell Ridge, Lane Co, July 18 Great Arctic Oeneis nevadensis Size: Up to 2.5 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above orangish tan with dark wing margins and black eyespots, one or more on FW, one or none on HW. Male has dark brown wash on inner half of FW. FW below similar to above, but with gray and black striations along FW leading margin and on wingtip. HW striated with white and brown, dark brown zigzag median lines, and darker band along margin. Similar species: None in Oregon. Host plant: Grasses, but no specific species identified in Oregon . Habitat: Grassy habitats including wet and dry meadows, roadsides, riparian zones. Range: Cascade Range, Siskiyou Mtns, Klamath Mtns, Warner Mtns, Coast Range in Curry County. Season: Late April to late September Abundance: Common in even numbered years in most of range. Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Brown Elfin butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Grassy Glade, Lane Co, June 25 Brown Elfin Callophrys augustinus Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above both sexes brown or orangish brown (females), unmarked. Below HW violet to pink scaling over brown, usually two-toned with basal half somewhat darker, rarely with irregular median line, and sometimes light submarginal spot band. Similar species: Thicket HS has prominent "W" in white median line, is blue above, and submarginal spots on HW run entire length of trailing margin. Host plant: Wide range of plants including salal, madrone, manzanita, huckleberry, and many others . Habitat: Pine-oak woodlands, manzanita and salal thickets, sage-steppe, roadside seeps. Range: Most of Oregon except dry bottomlands east of the Cascade Range. Season: Mid-February to Late July Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Great Basin Fritillary butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Catherine Cr Rd, Union County, July 8, ssp. nigrescent Great Basin Fritillary Argynnis egleis AKA Speyeria egleis Size: Up to 2.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Smallish. Varies significantly among subspecies especially below. Medium orange above with black veins, black shading near the body, black irregular lines inwardly, submarginal black spot band and black marking along margin like chain links, bolder on female. Below ground color of "disc" on HW generally light brown, with large silvery-white oval spots usually with darker halos or caps. Similar species: Zerene and Callippe both have darker disc color below. Hostplant: Violet (Viola ) species . Habitat: Varies by ssp. in each region, including ridgetops, meadows, pumice flats and subalpine slopes. Range: Found in southern Cascades, Siskiyou Mtns, Klamath Mtns, Ochocos, and in Wallowas and northeastern Blue Mtns. Season: Mid-June to early September. Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Zerene Fritillary butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Mt. Hebo, Tillamook Co, August 13, ssp. hippolyta Zerene Fritillary Argynnis zerene AKA Speyeria zerene Size: Up to 2.75 inch wingspan Key ID features: Orange above with thin black veins, black shading near the body, black irregular lines inwardly, submarginal black spot band and black marking along margin like chain links, bolder on female. Variable below depending on subspecies and location. Often with light tan-brown "disc" on HW with large silvery-white oval spots and warm tan submarginal band. Can also have pinkish/purplish hindwing below, with smaller discal spots than Hydaspe. Similar species: Coronis Fritillary is usually paler above and larger. Callippe Fritillary has more elongated silver spots in the disc below. Hydaspe has larger, more rounded discal spots. Host plant: Violet (Viola ) species, varying by region of state . Habitat: Varies greatly by subspecies, from coastal headlands, to grassy summits, riparian areas and meadows. Range: Throughout mountainous areas of eastern and southwestern Oregon. Season: Early June to late September. Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Coastal subspecies S. z. hippolyta critically imperiled in OR, Federally listed as Threatened.

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Bramble Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Meadow Cr, Jefferson Co, May 9 Bramble Hairstreak Callophrys dumetorum AKA Bramble Green Hairstreak Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above both sexes light brown. Below bright grass-green, sometimes with broken white median line on HW. Below, green on FW restricted to the leading 1/3. Perches on shrubs or grasses, rarely on ground. Similar species: Sheridan's perches on the ground, range of Western Green typically does not overlap. Host plant: Lotus crassisfolius, Lotus nevadensis var. douglasii . Habitat: Openings in Douglas-fir and Ponderosa pine forests, along road cuts and powerline corridors. Range: North Coast Range, Western Cascades, NE Cascades, Siskiyou Mtns, Warner Mtns. Season: Late March to mid-July Abundance: Uncommon 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 Queen Alexandra's Sulphur butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Mill Creek Rd, Crook Co, June 24 Queen Alexandra's Sulphur Colias alexandra Size: 2.0 - 2.8 inches wingspan Key ID features: Larger than any other Oregon sulphur, with more pointed FW. Below HW discal spot is white (not pearly) with no satellite spot, often unrimmed. Below HW has heavy black overscaling, giving strong green cast. Similar species: Clouded Sulphurs are smaller and have double ring around discal spot on HW below. Western Sulphurs are smaller and often have brighter pink wing borders. Pink-edged Sulphurs have more rounded wings, lack black overscaling below and have bright pink wing borders. Host plant: Various species in the pea family, especially Astragalus (milkvetch) and Medicago (alfalfa). Habitat: Meadows, roadsides, dry steppe slopes and forest glades. Range: Throughout eastern Oregon. Season: mid-April to mid-September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Half-moon Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next TPine Mountain, Deschutes Co, June 24 Half-Moon Hairstreak Satyrium semiluna AKA Sagebrush Sooty Hairstreak Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Both sexes dull gray above and below. Below, median band of small dark spots with white halos, and submarginal band of black spots with halos. No tails. Similar species: May be confused with a female Boisduval's blue, which has some blue below (Half-moon has no blue), white fringes, and usually one to three black basal spots on HW below. Range does not overlap with closely related Sooty Hairstreak. Host plant: Lupines (Lupinus ) . Habitat: Subalpine meadows, high ridges, sage steppe, open slopes. Range: East of the Cascades except Columbia basin in Gilliam, Morrow and Umatilla counties. Season: Mid-May to early September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Glaucon Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Izee Rd Meadow, Grant Co, July 1 Cascadia Blue Euphilotes heracleoides Size: Up to 1.0 inch wingspan Key ID features: Small. Male blue above with narrow dark wing borders, little or no orange along trailing edge of HW. Female dark brown above with prominent orange zigzag along trailing margin. Both sexes have checked fringe on FW. Below bluish-gray with bold black spots, larger on FW, and broad orange submarginal line on HW. Similar species: Best told from other Euphilotes blues by host-plant association, location and flight period. Host plant: Eriogonum heracleoides (Parsnip-flower buckwheat). Habitat: Well-drained sites where host plant grows, including high plateaus, ridges and roadsides. Range: All of northeast Oregon, and in Warner Mountains and southern Deschutes County Season: Late April to late June Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Tailed Copper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Crane Cr, Lake Co, July 4 - male Tailed Copper Tharsalea arota AKA Lycaena arota Size: 0.75- 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Male coppery brown above. Female FW above has broad dark brown marginal bands, dark patches around coppery-orange spots, and HW with similar pattern with scalloped orange band along trailing edge. Small white-tipped tails on HW, longer on females. Below HW is boldly marked with spots, chevrons, a submarginal white band and black spots circled with white, against gray-brown background (bolder in females). Similar species: No other coppers have tails. No hairstreaks in our area are similar. Host plant: Currants and gooseberries. Habitat: Moist meadows, canyons, mountain canyons. Range: Siskiyou Mtns, Central and Southern Cascade Mtns, Klamath Mtns, Warner Mtns, central Willamette Valley. Season: Mid-June to late September Abundance: Locally common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Sachem butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Boardman, Morrow County, August 24 - male Sachem Atalopedes campestris Size: Up to 1.5 inch wingspan Key ID features: Larger and longer winged than other comparable Oregon skippers. Above orangish-brown, with dark brown borders. Male with large rectangular black patch around stigmata and vague light orange pattern on HW. Female above with dark patch on FW, with pale yellow spot band beyond that, and HW with light orange spot band. Male HW below with broad light yellowish patches sometimes nearly enclosing a darker rectangular patch . Female below, with darker HW ground color and curved band of smaller, more distinct spots. Similar species: Yuma Skipper and Juba Skipper are of similar size. Yuma Skipper is plain above and below. Juba Skipper has green gray ground color below with bold white spot bands. Host plant: Various grass species. Habitat: Pastures, gardens, roadsides and open prairie. Range: Cascade Range, Siskiyou Mtns, Willamette Valley, Columbia and Deschutes river drainages. Season: Late May to late August Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure