Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Sooty Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Mt. Ashland Rd, Jackson Co, July 9 Sooty Hairstreak Satyrium fuliginosa AKA Western Sooty Hairstreak Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Both sexes dull gray-brown above and below. Below, dull gray-brown with pale median spot band. No tails. Similar species: Range does not overlap with closely related Half-Moon Hairstreak. Host plant: Lupines (Lupinus ) . Habitat: Rocky outcroppings, mountain slopes, ridges and peaks, often with sagebrush. Range: Along the border with California in Jackson and Josephine counties. Season: Mid-June to mid-August Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

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

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Callippe Fritillary butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Hat Point Rd, Wallowa Co, July 1, ssp. semivirida Callippe Fritillary Argynnis callippe AKA Speyeria callippe Size: Up to 2.5 inch wingspan Key ID features: Varies significantly among subspecies especially below. Light 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. Silver spots below show boldly through above. Below "disc" on HW ranges from light tan-brown to dark reddish brown, with large silvery-white oval spots usually with green or greenish brown caps. Similar species: Zerene Fritillary is larger, with silver spots not showing through above as boldly, lacks greenish caps to silver spots on disc below. Host plant: Violet (Viola ) species . Habitat: Montane canyons and roadsides, sage-steppe, pine-oak woodland openings, grasslands. Range: Throughout mountainous areas of eastern and southwestern Oregon, except in Columbia River basin. 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 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 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 the Shasta Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Wickiup Plain, Lane Co, August 12 Shasta Blue Icaricia shasta Size: 0.85 - 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Male dark blue above with dark cell end bars and white fringes. Female brown above with some blue scaling inwardly, and vague or no orange zigzag along trailing margin. Both sexes have distinct black cell end bars on FW. Both sexes gray below with gray-rimmed black median spots, and submarginal black spots with iridescent eyes bordered inwardly with black, rimmed inwardly with orange. Similar species: Separated from other Icaricia blues by gray ground color below and HW spots with iridescent eyes. Host plant: Several pea family species including lupines, clovers, and milkvetches . Habitat: High rocky ridges, plateaus, and high pumice flats. Range: Found in central and south-central Oregon in Ochocos, east slope of Cascades, Warners, and on Steens Mtn. Season: Mid-June to mid-August Abundance: Locally common 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

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Great Copper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next West Eugene Wetlands, Lane Co, July 25 - female Great Copper Tharsalea xanthoides AKA Lycaena xanthoides Size: 1.25- 1.75 inches wingspan Key ID features: Large for a copper. May have very short tail. Female above gray-brown with tan patches, black spots, and orange lunules (series of crescent shapes) on the trailing edge of the HW. Male above gray-brown, with only a few small spots along HW trailing margin. Below HW grayish brown with black spots, submarginal white band, and pale zigzag orange line along VHW trailing margin. Female with bolder zigzag orange line along VHW trailing margin. Often has a noticeable though small tail. Similar species: Edith's Copper is smaller, often with darker dorsal ground color, and VHW spots are larger and closer together . Edith's tend to have no tail or a tiny stub of a tail. Host plant: Dock (Rumex ) species are suspected. Habitat: Grassy hillsides in the south, wet meadows in the Willamette Valley. Range: South Siskiyou Mtns, southern Willamette Valley. Season: Mid-June to early September Abundance: Locally common Conservation Status: Secure throughout most of its range, but population in southern Willamette Valley is perilously small.

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 Great Basin Fritillary butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Catherine Cr Rd, Union County, July 8 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

Directory with photos and links for all of Oregon's butterflies in the skipper family. Skippers Click photo for more details Silver-spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarus Mojave Sootywing Hesperopsis libya Two-Banded Checkered-Skipper Pyrgus ruralis Common Roadside Skipper Amblyscirtes vialis Lindsey's Skipper Hesperia lindseyi Sonoran Skipper Polites sonora Dun Skipper Euphyes vestris Northern Cloudywing Thorybes pylades Dreamy Duskywing Erynnis icelus Common Checkered-Skipper Burnsius communis Uncas Skipper Hesperia uncas Nevada Skipper Hesperia nevada Sachem Skipper Atalopedes campestris Western Cloudywing Thorybes diversus Propertius Duskywing Erynnis propertius Northern White Skipper Heliopetes ericetorum Juba Skipper Hesperia juba Peck's Skipper Polites peckii Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides Nevada Cloudywing Thorybes nevada Pacuvius Duskywing Erynnis pacuvius Arctic Skipper Carterocephalus skada Western Branded Skipper Hesperia colorado Sandhill Skipper Polites sabuleti Rural Skipper Ochlodes agricola Common Sootywing Pholisora catullus Persius Duskywing Erynnis persius Garita Skipperling Oarisma garita Columbian Skipper Hesperia columbia Mardon Skipper Polites mardon Yuma Skipper Ochlodes yuma

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Desert Marble butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Smith Rocks State Pk, Jefferson Co, May 2 Desert Marble Euchloe lotta Size: 1.25 - 1.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above, pearly-white with black pattern on FW tip and thin black rectangle in forewing cell with no white scaling. VHW green marbling is lighter, with yellow wash and yellow veins. Similar species: Large Marble is notably larger. California Marble VHW has pearly or shiny look to white areas, with darker green marbling, and is found only in and near Josephine County. Host plant: Tall tumblemustard, tansy mustard, rockcress and other crucifers. Habitat: Primarily arid bottomlands, including desert flats, sage-steppe, bitterbrush plateaus, Pinyon-Juniper forest, and dry gullies. Range: Most of eastern Oregon except Blue, Aldrich and Wallowa Mtns. Season: Late March to late June Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure