Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Moss's Elfin butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Jasper Rocks, Lane Co, February 24 Moss's Elfin Callophrys mossii Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above both sexes grayish brown. Below shades of reddish-brown with variable amount of lighter overscaling giving a somewhat frosted look, sometimes with shades of lavender. Broken white median line, stronger on HW. No tails. Similar species: Hoary Elfin has much stronger frosted look between trailing margin and postmedian line. Host plant: Several species of Stonecrop (Sedum ) . Habitat: Rocky slopes and ridges, canyon side slopes, stony flats, buttes, cliffs at oceanside. Range: Northern Cascades Range, Siskiyou Mtns, Ochocos, Blue Mtns. Season: Mid-February to mid-July Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Gillett's Checkerspot butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Oregon State Arthropod Collection, #000176215 - male Thank you to Dana Ross and Paul Hammond , volunteers at OSAC! Gillett's Checkerspot Euphydryas gillettii Size: Up to 2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above black with red and white spots, wide red band through both wings, usually with narrow white bands on both sides. Below similar pattern, but with black reduced, and confined to narrow lines between red and white patches. Similar species: This is the only Oregon checkerspot with wide red submarginal spot bands above. Host plant: Species in the honeysuckle family, possibly black twinberry (Lonicera involucrata ) and red twinberry (L. utahensis ) . Habitat: High flowery meadows. Often occurs near small streams or wetlands, not straying far from its host plants and nectar sources. Range: On the summit of the west rim of Snake River Canyon near Hat Point . Season: Late June to early July Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure in other states. Survival of colonies may depend on wildfire interrupting habitat succession. Current Oregon population unknown.

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Columbian Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Kinney Cr Rd, Jackson Co, May 27 Columbian Skipper Hesperia columbia Size: Up to 1.4 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, bright orange often with deeply toothed dark border, male with dark stigmata on FW, female with dark patch in same location. Below greenish tan with reduced disjointed white bands, inner band reduced to a couple of spots. Similar species: Other grass skippers have bolder, more extensive white bands below. Host plant: Various grass species. Habitat: Dry shrubby habitats. Range: Jackson County and southern Josephine County. Season: Early May to mid-October Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Anise Swallowtail butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Hat Point Road, Wallowa Co, June 28 Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon Size: 2.5 - 3.0 inches wingspan Key ID features: Black with broad buttery yellow bands, twisted tails, black abdomen with narrow yellow side-stripes. Below similar pattern, with paler yellow ground color and reddish-orange halos on some of the black-bordered blue chevrons. Similar species: Oregon Swallowtail, which is larger, more lemony yellow, abdomen yellow with narrow black stripe on top and bottom. On Anise, black spot inside red spot near tail is in the middle of the red, whereas on the Oregon Swallowtail, its on the edge of the red. Host plant: Many species in the parsley family, including many native Lomatium species. Habitat: Variety of open areas, including wetlands, dunes, mountaintops, roadsides, and disturbed areas Range: Throughout Oregon. Season: Late February - mid-September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Lilac-bordered Copper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Mt. Ashland Road, Jackson Co, July 9 - female Lilac-Bordered Copper Tharsalea nivalis AKA Lycaena nivalis Size: 1 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Male above brownish with orange zigzag line on trailing margin. Female above light orange with black spots and borders. HW below two-toned, creamy yellow next to the body, and lilac in the outer half, with vague zigzag orange line (colors brighter in female). Similar species: Purplish lacks distinctive two-toned HW below. Other coppers have white or grayish undersides. Host plant: Knotweeds (Polygonum). Habitat: Mountain meadows, openings in fir and pine forests . Range: All of Oregon's mountains except Coast Range. Season: Mid-May to late August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Hoary Elfin butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Undisclosed location, western Oregon Hoary Elfin Callophrys polios Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above both sexes gray-brown. Below shades of dark brown. Light white median line, stronger on FW, with strong "frosted" look between HW median line and HW margin. No tails. Similar species: Moss's Elfin lacks strong frosted look between trailing margin and postmedian line. Hostplant: Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ) . Habitat: Open rocky areas in mountains, coastal bluffs and dunes, forest roadsides, always close to Kinnikinnick. Range: Isolated populations in Blue Mtns, coastal Lincoln and Curry counties, and in Linn, Morrow and Wallowa counties. Season: L ate April to late May Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Coastal subspecies C. polios maritima is imperiled in OR

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

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Purplish Copper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next King Mountain Rd, Harney Co, June 13 - male Purplish Copper Tharsalea helloides AKA Lycaena helloides Size: 1 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Male above brownish with purple iridescence when fresh. Female above light orange with black spots and wide brown borders. Male and female HW below lavender with submarginal orange zigzag line (females darker); FW below with black spots. Similar species: Lilac-bordered has distinctive two-toned HW below. Other coppers have white or grayish undersides. Host plant: Docks (Rumex ) and Knotweeds (Polygonum). Habitat: Wide variety of habitats . Range: All of Oregon. Season: Late April to mid-October Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Two-banded Checkered Skipper. Gallery Prev Next W Boundary Rd, Lane Co, April 12 Two-banded Checkered Skipper Pyrgus ruralis Size: Up to 1 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, Above very dark brown, with gray shading basally on FW, boldly checked fringes and bright white patches . White spots on FW in two rows that can look like an "x" to some. HW has bold spot bands, and a lone small white spot near the wing base (often covered). Below bands of brown, white and olive-gray on HW. Similar species: Common Checkered Skipper is much lighter above and below, with more and longer white patches above. Host plant: Checkermallows ( Sidalcea ) and wildflowers in the rose family like cinquefoil ( Potentilla ) and strawberry ( Fragaria ). Habitat: Mountain meadows and roadsides. Range: Cascade Range, Willamette Valley, Coast Range, Ochoco Mtns, Blue Mtns, Wallowa Mtns, Siskiyou Mtns, Klamath Mtns. Season: Early March to early September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

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

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

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the West Coast Lady butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Wolf Mtn Rd, Lane Co, September 10 West Coast Lady Vanessa annabella Size: Up to 2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Smaller than other ladies. Above bright orange with black FW tips with a thick vertical orange bar at the leading edge and a few small white spots near the wing tip. HW above orange with submarginal row of black spots with blue centers. Below, HW brown with submarginal row of four small eye spots, and web of white lines and white patches. FW below has bright salmon orange crossed by black in lower 2/3, upper 1/3 similar to HW. Similar species: American Lady has two large eye spots below. Painted Lady is larger, has white bar at leading edge of FW above instead of orange. Hostplant: Many species in the mallow family including streambank globe-mallow, checkermallow and others . Habitat: Flowery meadows, roadsides, and gardens. Range: Throughout Oregon except in Malheur County . Season: E arly March to mid-November. Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure