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 Snowberry Checkerspot butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Rd 23 Meadows, Lane Co, July 8 Snowberry Checkerspot Euphydryas colon Size: Up to 2.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Quite variable. Above black with red and ivory spots, marginal band of red spots, sometimes absent on HW. On HW above submarginal row of small ivory spots. On HW below bands of ivory and red spots edged in black, crossed by black veins. Pattern of bands (starting at margin) is red-white-red-white -white. Similar species: Edith's checkerspot has red-white-red-red -white band pattern on HW below (starting at margin). Chalcedona Checkerspot has larger and paler ivory spots in submarginal row on HW above. Host plant: Snowberry species (Symphoricarpos ), including S. albus , and members of the figwort family, including penstemons, paintbrushes, and honeysuckle . Habitat: Mountain meadows, riparian areas, open woodlands, roadsides. Range: Cascade Range, Siskiyou Mtns, Warner Mtns, Ochoco Mtns, Blue Mtns . Season: Late April to late August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Cedar Haristreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Upper Klamath River, Klamath Co, May 29 Cedar/Juniper Hairstreak Callophrys gryneus Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Found near cedar or juniper trees . Above, gray-brown or reddish brown, sometimes with redder patches near tails. Below, shades of brown, gray, and violet, with white postmedian line that varies from bold to nearly absent. Blue submarginal ("thecla") patches near tails vary in size and brightness, but usually lacking orange. Similar species: Johnson's Hairstreak is darker shade of brown, postmedian white line is bolder with a more pronounced "M" on the HW, and generally only found in and near old growth forest. Host plant: Western redcedar (Thuja plicata ), incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens ) and western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis ). Habitat: Roadsides, meadows, riparian zones, forest edges and clearings near the host plant. Range: Most of Oregon, but missing from most of Coast Range, Blue Mtns, Wallowas and Malheur County. Season: Late March to early August Abundance: Abundant Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the California Tortoiseshell butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Buford Park, Lane Co, June 2 California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica Size: Up to 2.5 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above bright orange with black and white patches on the leading edge of FW, a few smaller black spots on FW, and dark border on FW and HW. Below striated two-toned with darker inner half and brown outer half with darker margin, and often a dark gray-blue submarginal line. Similar species: Above, Milbert's dark basally with bright orange rim. Below, Milbert's Tortoiseshell more distinctly two-toned, outer band lighter, more variable and more gray than brown. Host plant: Ceanothus species include snowbrush (C. velutinus ), deerbrush (C. integerrimus ) . Habitat: While dispersing, may be found in any habitat, including in the middle of urban areas. Otherwise in mountain slopes, canyons, meadows, riversides, road edges and shorelines. Range: Throughout Oregon . Season: Late January to early December. Abundance: Common, abundant in some years. Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Bauer's Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Alvord Basin, Harney Co, May 29 Bauer's Blue Euphilotes baueri Size: Up to 0.85 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 orange submarginal line edged in black on HW, sometimes as separate spots. Similar species: Best told from other Euphilotes blues by host-plant association, location and flight period. Host plant: Eriogonum ovalifolium (cushion buckwheat). Habitat: Arid deserts with host plant cushion buckwheat. Range: Eastern Harney County, and area around Brothers, Oregon . Season: Early May to early June Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Field Crescent butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Ditch Cr, Morrow Co, September 5 - male Field Crescent Phyciodes pulchella Size: Up to 1 inch wingspan Key ID features: Male above, dark overall, with orange and light orange spots surrounded by black, HW with submarginal band of small black dots circled with orange. Male HW below cream, tan and brown bands and patches, and inconspicuous marginal crescent below midpoint. Female with larger orange and yellow spots, with a near rectangular pale orange vertical bar in FW cell, at leading margin. Female below white with brown patches and irregular red-brown lines, bright submarginal white crescent with brown on both sides. Similar species: Female Northern Crescent lacks light bar in cell at leading edge of FW above. California Crescent has slight indent in FW margin. Host plant: Aster species, including western showy aster (Eurybia conspicua ) and Cascade aster (Eucephalus ledophyllus ) . Habitat: Mountain meadows, seeps, roadsides, forest edges, lowland prairies. Range: Willamette Vallley, Cascade Range, Siskiyou and Klamath Mtns, Steens Mtn, Ochocos, Wallowa Mtns and Blue Mtns. Season: Mid-May to late September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Pale Swallowtail butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Hat Point Rd, Wallowa Co, June 25 Pale Swallowtail Papilio eurymedon Size: 2.75 - 3.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above pale, yellowish white with vertical bands of black on forewing, long single tails, blue chevrons on black band near hindwing margin. Similar pattern below, with red-orange shading in ivory marginal spots near the tail. Similar species: Western Tiger Swallowtail is brighter yellow and has slightly narrower black bands on forewing Host plant: Many shrubs and small trees including ceanothus, alder, cascara, and buckthorn. Habitat: Can be found in any forest or shrubby habitat, and especially on ridges, along roads and in riparian corridors Range: Throughout western Oregon, and in Ochoco Mtns, Strawberry Mtns, Blue Mtns, Wallowa Mtns. Season: Mid-April - early October Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Spring White butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Dutchman's Peak, Jackson Co, July 15 Spring White Pontia sisymbrii Size: 1.25 - 1.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above, male milk-white, female cream to yellowish, both with black checks on wingtips and closed black bar at end of forewing cell. Below, hindwing veins crisply lined with brownish back bars, partially interrupted across the middle. Similar species: Western white has FW cell end bar with white center, and below HW veins less boldly shaded, and lacks slightly interrupted band across veins. Host plant: Wide variety of rockcresses and mustards. Habitat: Rocky desert-steppe, sage lands, subalpine ridges in the Cascades. Range: Throughout eastern Oregon east of the Cascades and in southern Josephine and Jackson counties. Season: Late March to late August Abundance: Widespread, but locally distributed, often seen singly. Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Lorquin's Admiral butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Buford Park, Lane Co, June 16 Lorquin's Admiral Limenitis lorquini Size: Up to 3 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above black with broad white band through FW and HW, prominent orange patches at wingtips. Below bands of red-brown, white and black crossed by black veins. Similar species: Superficially similar to Weidemeyer's Admiral, which lacks orange wingtips. California Sister is dark brown above, and orange patches on FW are separated from wing tip. Host plant: Oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor ), willow species (Salix ), rose family shrubs and others . Habitat: Can appear in any habitat that contains one of its host plants. Range: Throughout Oregon. Season: Mid-February to early October. Abundance: Abundant Conservation Status: Secure