top of page

Search this site

181 results found with an empty search

  • iNaturalist | Butterflies of Oregon

    on iNaturalist Join the revolution! On the iNaturalist.org website, there is a Butterflies of Oregon Project that collects and displays all of the photos of butterflies submitted from Oregon. There are now over 30,000 photos of butterflies from Oregon, and the number of people submitting butterfly photos from Oregon is growing every year! You can view the most recent Oregon butterflies posted to iNaturalist at right, or go directly to the Butterflies of Oregon Project page. Note: the links at right to the individual iNaturalist posts only work if you right-click the link and select "open in a new tab" or "open in a new window." iNaturalist.org has the largest online collection of recent records of butterfly sightings, and the largest number of users, and has emerged as the best place to both share your sightings and get help identifying them. By contributing your photos of Oregon butterflies to iNaturalist, you are making them available to others for learning, study and pleasure. Being part of this community of naturalists benefits everyone involved. recent Oregon sightings: View additional recent Oregon butterfly sightings on iNaturalist.org.

  • Western Pygmy Blue | ButterfliesofOregon

    Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Western Pygmy Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Umatilla NWR, Umatilla Co, September 4 Western Pygmy Blue Brephidium exilis Size: 0.5 - 0.75 inches wingspan Key ID features: Very small. Dark orangey-brown above, sometimes with blue patches next to body. HW above with white fringe and indistinct, variable submarginal band of blackish spots. FW below, disjointed white lines on orange-brown background. HW below with brown or blue bands edged in white, and marginal row of bold black spots with metallic blue or silver centers next to submarginal white band. Similar species: No similar species in Oregon. Host plant: Various species in the pigweed family, including Saltbush (Atriplex), Pigweed (chenopodium) and Russian thistle (Salsola kali) . Habitat: Desert lowlands and flats, including disturbed areas. Range: Primarily SE Oregon in Lake, Harney and Malheur counties, but expands north in some years. Season: Mid-July to late September Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

  • Green Comma | ButterfliesofOregon

    Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Green Comma butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Lost Lake, Linn Co, August 1 Green Comma Polygonia faunus Size: Up to 2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above deep orange with black blotches and spots, often with very jagged wing edges, submarginal row of yellow spots on brown to black marginal band. Below striated bands of gray-brown and gray, and prominent curved (not pointed) white comma in center of HW, often barbed on one end. Similar species: Satyr Comma has brown shades below, and barbed white comma on HW. Hoary comma lacks submarginal shading below. Oreas comma has pointed white "v" below. Host plant: Willows, aspen and alders . Habitat: Conifer forest openings, meadows, roadsides. Range: All of western Oregon , plus Warner Mtns, Ochoco Mtns, Wallowa Mtns and Blue Mtns . Season: Late February to late September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

  • Western Green Hairstreak | ButterfliesofOregon

    Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Western Green Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Lord Flat, Wallowa Co, June 22 Western Green Hairstreak Callophrys affinis Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above both sexes gray. Below bluish green, sometimes with broken white median line on HW. Similar species: Bramble's range does not overlap. Sheridan's perches on the ground, Western Green perches on top of shrubs. Host plant: Buckwheats (Eriogonum ). Habitat: Sage steppe, dry ridges, mountain summits. Range: Far eastern Oregon, Ochoco Mtns. Season: Early April to mid-July Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

  • Sara's Orangetip | ButterfliesofOregon

    Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Sara's Orangetip butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Illinois River, Josephine Co, May 7 - female Sara's Orangetip Anthocharis sara AKA Sara Orangetip Size: 1.25 - 1.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Male white above, with bold orange FW tip. Female pale yellow-green above with smaller orange patch near FW tip. Below patchy marbling with light yellow veins. Similar species: Julia's Orangetip, which occurs throughout western Oregon and the Cascades is very similar and difficult to distinguish in the adult stage wherever they overlap. The two species are distinguished by several characteristics, including larval characteristics, number of overwintering cycles, and shape and color of the chrysalis. Host plant: Crucifers including several rockcresses. Habitat: Wide variety of open habitats. Range: Only found along the Oregon-California border in Jackson, Josephine and Curry counties. Season: Mid-March to mid-August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

  • Pacific Dotted Blue | ButterfliesofOregon

    Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Pacific Dotted Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Frisselll Ridge, Lane Co, July 16 - male (L), female (R) Dotted Blue Euphilotes enoptes AKA Pacific Dotted Blue Size: Up to 0.85 inch wingspan Key ID features: Small. Male blue above with dark wing borders. Female dark brown above with vague orange zigzag along trailing margin. Both sexes have checked fringe on FW. Below bluish-gray with black spots, and orange edges to submarginal black spots on HW. Similar species: Euphilotes blues are often best told apart by host-plant association, location and flight period. Several other species have orange bands on the ventral hindwing, instead of separate orange spots. In the western Cascades, only this species has separate orange spots. Host plant: Eriogonum nudum (bare-stem buckwheat), E. elatum (tall woolly buckwheat) and E. compositum (arrowleaf buckwheat). Habitat: Well-drained sites where hostplant grows, including high plateaus, ridges, gravelly slopes and roadsides. Range: Western Cascade Range, Siskiyou Mtns, Klamath Mtns . Season: Mid-April to early August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

  • Peck's Skipper | ButterfliesofOregon

    Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Peck's Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Rd 3925, Grant Co, June 30 Peck's Skipper Polites peckius Size: Up to 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, dark brown (males darker) with clusters of orange bars, and males with orange-brown on leading edge . FW below dark brown with mustard yellow patches. HW below mottled reddish brown with mustard yellow patches in connected bands. Similar species: HW pattern below is unique. Host plant: Grass species, Kentucky bluegrass, saltgrass, and bromes. Habitat: Wet meadows, roadsides and riparian areas. Range: Wallowa and Blue Mtns. Season: Late June to early August Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

  • Nevada Cloudywing | ButterfliesofOregon

    Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Nevada Cloudywing butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Three Creeks Meadow, Jefferson Co, July 17 Nevada Cloudywing Thorybes nevada AKA Cecropterus nevada AKA Thorybes mexicana AKA Mexican Cloudywing Size: Up to 1.5 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above very dark brown with a few white bars and spots on FW, longer and wider than in other Oregon cloudywings. Below similar to above, dark brown with with a few narrow tan or off-white bars and spots on FW, HW darkly striated. Similar species: Northern Cloudywing has smaller sub-cell white bar on FW, and often the white bars are narrower. Western Cloudywing has narrower white bars on FW above. Host plant: Various clover (Trifolium ) species . Habitat: Damp hillsides, creeksides, clearings in coniferous forest. Range: East slope of Cascade Range from Lane County south to northern Klamath and Lake counties. Season: Mid-May to early July Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

  • Cabbage White | ButterfliesofOregon

    Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Cabbage White butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Lost Lake, Linn Co, August 21 Cabbage White Pieris rapae Size: 1.25 - 1.75 inches wingspan Key ID features: Males white with one black spot and black apex on FW. Female white with two black spots and black FW apex. Yellowish below. Similar species: Mustard White lacks black spots on FW. Host plant: Many species of mustards, including food plants in the cabbage family. Habitat: Found in most habitat types. Range: Introduced from Europe. Found throughout Oregon. Season: Early March to early November Abundance: Abundant Conservation Status: Secure

  • Juba Skipper | ButterfliesofOregon

    Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Juba Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Rd 23, Lane Co, June 16 Juba Skipper Hesperia juba Size: Up to 1.5 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, male brownish orange with jagged line of light orange spots, dark brown edges, like teeth pointing inward, dark stigmata. Above female brown with jagged row of light orange spots, some almost white spots near wing tip, also with dark brown edges, like teeth pointing inward . Below greenish gray with disjointed white bands, lowest patch of white on outer band displaced inwardly (but not as strongly as Nevada Skipper). Similar species: On HW below Nevada Skipper has the lowest segment of the outer white spot band more strongly offset. Host plant: Bunchgrass species. Habitat: Sage habitats, roadsides, dry woodland openings. Range: All of Oregon except north Coast Range and coast. Season: Mid-April to early October Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

  • Rural Skipper | ButterfliesofOregon

    Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Rural Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Grave Creek Bridge, Josephine Co, June 29 Rural Skipper Ochlodes agricola Size: Up to 1 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, small, tan-orange with graduated dark border . Male with black stigmata on FW, female with black patch in same location. HW below plain orange-tan in male, plain purplish brown in female which has vague lighter patches. Similar species: Unmarked orange-tan HW below on male distinct within its range. Host plant: Various grass species. Habitat: Forest edges and openings, riparian areas. Range: Josephine, Curry and Coos counties, small area along CA border at Jackson County/Josephine County border. Season: Late May to late July Abundance: Locally common Conservation Status: Secure

  • Compton's Tortoiseshell | ButterfliesofOregon

    Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Compton's Tortoiseshell butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Oregon State Arthropod Collection #0001093061- male Thank you to Dana Ross and Paul Hammond , volunteers at OSAC! Compton Tortoiseshell Nymphalis l-album Size: Up to 3 inch wingspan Key ID features: FW above rusty orange with black patches, dark mustard yellow border and marginal band with black line between. HW brown with broader mustard bands, and white bar at leading edge with dark patches on each side. Below two-toned brown or gray, with darker inner half and lighter striated outer half, blue-gray submarginal band. HW below with flattened silver "v," sometimes reduced or absent. Similar species: Above, white bar on leading edge of HW is unique. Host plant: Birches, willows, and aspens . Habitat: Typically found along streams in forested areas, and in mountain canyons. Range: Wallowa Mtns, and far NE Blue Mtns . Season: Early March to mid-October. Abundance: Scarce, may not breed in Oregon every year. Conservation Status: Secure

© 2018-25 by Neil Henning Björklund

bottom of page