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 Edith's Checkerspot butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Deception Creek Rd, Lane Co, July 3 Edith's Checkerspot Euphydryas editha Size: Up to 2.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above black with alternating red and white spot bands separated by black lines. HW below has red and white bands, which, from the margin run red-white-red-red-white. Similar species: Snowberry checkerspot has red-white-red-white-white band pattern on HW below. Host plant: Several species in the figwort family, including paintbushes (Castilleja), penstemons, and monkeyflowers . Habitat: Commonly in s ubalpine and alpine meadows, sage-steppe. Frequently found on the highest point of the area. Also in arid river canyons in spring. Range: Cascade Range, Siskiyous, central Coast Range, parts of the Blue Mtns, Wallowa Mtns, and SE Oregon . Season: Late May to late July Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure, except ssp. taylori, which is listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Great Purple Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Kelley Cr, Warner Mtns, Lake Co, July 4 Great Purple Hairstreak Atlides halesus AKA Great Blue Hairstreak Size: 1.25 - 1.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above bright iridescent blue with black borders. Below black with iridescent blue band adjacent to long tails, red patches next to body and on sides of thorax. Similar species: No similar species in Oregon. Host plant: Oak mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum ). Habitat: Oak savanna, with mistletoe. Range: Warner Mtns, Siskiyou Mts, Willamette Valley. Season: Early April to early October Abundance: Uncommon 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 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

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

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Northwestern Fritillary butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Frissell Ridge, Lane Co, July 17 Northwestern Fritillary Argynnis hesperis AKA Hesperis Fritillary AKA Speyeria hesperis Size: Up to 2.5 inch wingspan Key ID features: 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 deep reddish to chocolate brown, with creamy to white elongated oval spots, and a distinct submarginal band of warm or pinkish tan, crossed by dark veins. Often with yellowish-tan "spashes" or rays within the discal area. The cream spot in the middle of the bottom of the ventral hindwing is usually "smeared" toward the outer edge. Similar species: Hydaspe has a submarginal band that is more pinkish and often less distinct, and the cream-colored spot on the bottom edge of the ventral hindwing is small and not smeared toward the outer edge. Host plant: Violet (Viola ) species . Habitat: Openings, riparian areas and meadows in pine and fir forests. Range: Found in central and southern Cascades, Siskiyou, Ochoco, Strawberry, Wallowa and Warner 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 Woodland Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Frissell Ridge, Lane Co, July 18 Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides Size: Up to 1 inch wingspan Key ID features: Highly variable. Above orange, with dark brown, "toothy" borders, less distinct on HW. HW with large orange patch bordered by dark brown. Male above with narrow black stigmata, forming part of dark diagonal band running from wing base to FW tip. Female above also has dark diagonal band, with dark patch replacing stigmata . Below HW light yellowish brown usually with "folded" band of connected light spots (sometimes bold, sometimes barely visible or missing). Similar species: Sachem and Juba Skipper fly at the same time but are larger. 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: Any open grassy habitat. Range: A ll of Oregon. Season: Mid-June to early October Abundance: Common to abundant Conservation Status: Secure

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

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Mormon Metalmark butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Trout Cr Campground, Jefferson Co, Sep 2 Mormon Metalmark Apodemia mormo Size: 1.0 - 1.2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Males above dark charcoal gray with reddish brown on the FW, and white spots of various shapes, broadly checked wing fringes. Female above similar but darker overall. Below HW with bold white patches against dark brown. FW mirrors pattern of FW above. Similar species: Looks vaguely similar to a copper, but none closely resembles it. Host plant: Many buckwheat species (Eriogonum ) . Habitat: Arid canyons and flats. Range: West of the Cascades, in Columbia and Snake River drainages, and along California border in Klamath and Warner Mtns, and in Cascade-Siskiyou NM. Season: Late July to early October Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Western Pine Elfin butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Meadow Cr, Jefferson Co, May 29 Western Pine Elfin Callophrys eryphon Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above both sexes dark chocolate brown. Very distinctive pattern of zigzags on HW below, in black, browns and lavenders, with thin white median line. HW has submarginal light frosted line. Checked fringes, no tails. Similar species: Pattern below not likely to be confused with other elfin species. Hostplant: Ponderosa, Lodgepole and other species of pine (Pinus ) . Habitat: Primarily in clearings in Ponderosa pine forest, also in Lodgepole pine forests and Shore pine stands. Range: Cascade Range, Siskiyou Mtns, Ochoco Mtns, Klamath Mtns, Blue Mtns, and narrow band along the coast. Season: Late February to late August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Sandhill Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Boardman, Morrow Co, August 26 Sandhill Skipper Polites sabuleti Size: Up to 1.2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, male light orange with toothed dark brown edges, black stigmata . Above, female is dark brown with light orange spots. FW below dark brown with mustard yellow patches. HW below tan with irregular light bands shot through with light veins giving webbed look. Similar species: HW pattern below is somewhat similar to Uncas and Lindsey's. Uncas has grayish green ground color below. Lindsey's is larger and has smaller light bands and patches below. Host plant: Grass species, Kentucky bluegrass, saltgrass, and bromes. Habitat: Lawns, parks, ditch banks, alkali flats, sage flats. Range: Eastern Oregon and southern Cascade Range. Season: Early May to late October Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure