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 Dun Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Coburg Ridge, Lane Co, July 3 - male Dun Skipper Euphyes vestris Size: Up to 1.4 inch wingspan Key ID features: Medium gray-brown above and below, can have orange iridescence when fresh. Male with dark brown stigmata on FW, female with vague small white spots on both wings, above and below. Similar species: No other Oregon skipper is this shade of brown and relatively unmarked. Host plant: Sedges ( Carex ). Habitat: Moist areas including roadsides, meadows, riparian areas, seeps. Range: West of the Cascade Range crest. Season: Late May to early September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Arrowhead Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Gert Canyon, Wasco Co, May 4, female Arrowhead Blue Glaucopsyche piasus Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Noticeably larger than most blues. Violet-blue above, with dark wing borders, white checked fringes. Below brownish-gray, HW with white arrows pointing toward median band of black spots. Similar species: No other Oregon blue has white arrows on HW below pointing toward body. Host plant: Lupine species (Lupinus ) Habitat: Open areas with lupines in sage-steppe, ponderosa pine stands, canyons and wet meadows. Range: Most of Oregon east of the Cascade Range and in SW Oregon. Season: Early April to late August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Sonoran Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Summit Meadows, LaneCo, August 13 Sonoran Skipper Polites sonora Size: Up to 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above orangish-brown, with darker reddish brown border, and vague light spot band on HW. Males with black stigmata with adjacent dark patches on FW, female FW with dark patch surrounded by yellowish spots. HW below brown with arc of pale yellow bars forming a curved band, and an elongated light spot near wing base . HW bars somewhat rounded with indistinct edges. Similar species: HW pattern below is somewhat similar to Mardon Skipper, which has shorter, broader wings and HW spots that are angular and more distinct. Host plant: Various grass species. Habitat: Flowery meadows and pastures, forest openings, roadsides, streambanks. Range: Cascade Range, Siskiyou Mtns, Klamath Mtns, Warner Mtns, Ochoco Mtns, Blue Mtns, Wallowa Mtns, Willamette Valley. Season: Late May to late August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Mountain Parnassian butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Boccard Point, Jackson Co, July 5, female Mountain Parnassian Parnassius smintheus AKA Rocky Mountain Parnassian Size: 2.0 - 2.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: White/gray/translucent wings with red spots on the HW, and often with additional red patches bordered with black on FW. Antennae are boldly black/white striped. Similar pattern below, with medial red spots having pink centers. Similar species: Clodius Parnassian (Parnassius clodius ), which is larger, usually has solid black antennae Host plant: Stonecrops including Sedum obtusatum, S. lanceolatum Habitat: Primarily rocky outcroppings above 2500' elevation. Range: Siskiyou Mtns, Aldrich, Blue and Wallowa Mtns Season: Late June to late August. Abundance: Locally common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Hoary Comma butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Lost Lake, Linn Co, August 28 Hoary Comma Polygonia gracilis Size: Up to 2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above orange with black blotches and spots, often with very jagged wing edges, submarginal row of yellow chevrons and brown to black marginal band. HW above has yellow gilded look, with yellow patches within dark orange marginal band. Below dark gray with lighter gray striations, and prominent curved (not sharply pointed) white comma in center of HW. Similar species: Satyr Comma has brown shades below, and barbed white comma on HW. Green comma has green submarginal shading below. Oreas comma has pointed white "v" below. Host plant: Currant species (Ribes ), and Rhododendron albiflorum (white azalea) . Habitat: Forest openings, riparian areas, subalpine meadows, mostly above 3,000 feet. Range: Coast Range, Willamette Valley, Western Cascades, east slope of Cascades, Blue Mtns . Season: Early February to mid-October Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Common Sootywing butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Jones Canyon, Wasco County, May 4 Common Sootywing Pholisora catullus Size: Up to 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Small. Above very dark brown to black with several small white spots near FW wingtip, row of tiny submarginal white spots on FW and HW. Below deep brown-black with a few white spots near the tip of the FW. Head mostly white. Similar species: Common Roadside Skipper is browner, with checked wing fringes. Dun Skipper much lighter, lacks white FW spots above and below. Host plant: Weedy species in the goosefoot family, such as lamb's quarters, goosefoot, pigweed, etc . Habitat: Disturbed weedy areas, shrub desert, alkali flats, and along waterways. Range: In north half of state, east of the Cascade Range and north of Crook County. In south half of state, east of Lake County. Season: Late March to early September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

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