Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Melissa's Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Millican Flats, Deschutes Co, June 21 Melissa's Blue Plebejus melissa Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Male shiny violet-blue above with black marginal line and white fringe. Female brown above with scalloped orange marginal band, clearer and bolder on HW. Below, brownish-gray with bold black spots, with submarginal row of orange patches, bordered inwardly with black and a row of black spots, which on HW have bold patch of iridescent blue bordered by black. Similar species: Male Acmon and Lupine Blues have orange band on HW above, and females of those species have no orange on FW above. Orange borders of Northern Blues below are less bold. Host plant: Legumes, including lupines, lotuses, milkvetches and many others . Habitat: Hot, low to mid-elevation prairies and meadows, as well as disturbed areas like agricultural fields. Range: Found throughout eastern Oregon and in southern Klamath County, and Jackson County. Season: Late April to late September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Glaucon Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Izee Rd Meadow, Grant Co, July 1 Cascadia Blue Euphilotes heracleoides Size: Up to 1.0 inch wingspan Key ID features: Small. Male blue above with narrow dark wing borders, little or no orange along trailing edge of HW. Female dark brown above with prominent orange zigzag along trailing margin. Both sexes have checked fringe on FW. Below bluish-gray with bold black spots, larger on FW, and broad orange submarginal line on HW. Similar species: Best told from other Euphilotes blues by host-plant association, location and flight period. Host plant: Eriogonum heracleoides (Parsnip-flower buckwheat). Habitat: Well-drained sites where host plant grows, including high plateaus, ridges and roadsides. Range: All of northeast Oregon, and in Warner Mountains and southern Deschutes County Season: Late April to late June Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Common Roadside Skipper. Gallery Prev Next Mill Cr Rd, Lane Co, July 1 Common Roadside Skipper Amblyscirtes vialis Size: Up to 1 inch wingspan Key ID features: Tiny and difficult to see until perched . Above, dark brown with a few white spots at leading edge near wingtip, fringes often checked. Below dark brownish gray, with gray frosted look in outer half of HW. Similar species: Darker and more marked than Dun Skipper, and more triangular shape. Common Sootywing has more white spots above and white face. Host plant: Many grass species. Habitat: Roadsides, and other warm, sunny sites, often near water. Range: Cascade Range, north Coast Range, Ochoco Mtns, Blue Mtns, Wallowa Mtns. Season: Late April to late August Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Viceroy butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Warehouse Beach Rec Area, Umatilla Co, August 24 Viceroy Limenitis archippus Size: Up to 3.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: At first glance looks like small Monarch. Bright orange above with black veins, bold black margins with single row of submarginal white spots, curving black line through HW. Below, lighter orange with black veins and borders, black line through HW more bold. Similar species: Monarch is notably larger and lacks black line through middle of HW, has double row of white spots in black marginal band above. Host plant: Willow (Salix ) species . Habitat: Near water and willows. Range: Found in Columbia River and Snake River drainages. Season: Early April to late September. Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Western Cloudywing butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Oregon Mountain, Josephine Co, June 4 Western Cloudywing Thorybes diversus AKA Cecropterus diversus Size: Up to 1.75 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above very dark brown with a few narrow white bars and spots on FW. Bars and spots translucent. Below similar to above, dark brown with with a few narrow tan or off-white bars and spots on FW. Tends to perch on elevated rocks rather than on ground or plant. Similar species: Northern Cloudywing has shorter and wider sub-cell white bar on FW, and male lacks costal fold. Northern Mexican Cloudywing has striations below on the outer portion of wings. Host plant: Various clover (Trifolium ) species . Habitat: Damp hillsides, creeksides, clearings in coniferous forest. Range: Very restricted range near CA border in Josephine County and Klamath County. Season: Mid-May to early July Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Directory with photos and links for all of Oregon's butterflies in the coppers, hairstreaks and blues families. Coppers, Hairstreaks & Blues Click photo for more details American Copper Lycaen a hypophlaeas Gorgon Copper Tharsalea gorgon Mariposa Copper Tharsalea mariposa Behr's Hairstreak Satyrium behrii Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak Satyrium tetra Cedar/Juniper Hairstreak Callophrys gryneus Hoary Elfin Callophrys polios Arrowhead Blue Glaucopsyche piasus Pacific Dotted Blue Euphilotes enoptes Eastern Tailed Blue Cupido comyntas Acmon Blue Icaricia acmon Sierra Nevada Blue Agriades podarce Lustrous Copper Lycaena cupreus Ruddy Copper Tharsalea rubidus Golden Hairstreak Habrodais grunus California Hairstreak Satyrium californica Hedgerow Hairstreak Satyrium saepium Thicket Hairstreak Callophrys spinetorum Western Pine Elfin Callophrys eryphon Silvery Blue Glaucopsyche lygdamus Columbian Blue Euphilotes columbiae Western Tailed Blue Cupido amyntula Lupine Blue Icaricia lupini Mormon Metalmark Apodemia mormo Tailed Copper Tharsalea arota Blue Copper Tharsalea heteronea Great Purple Hairstreak Atlides halesus Sylvan Hairstreak Satyrium sylvinus Western Green Hairstreak Callophrys affinis Johnson's Hairstreak Callophrys johnsoni Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus Summit Blue Euphilotes glaucon Ancilla Blue Euphilotes ancilla Greenish Blue Icaricia saepiolus Northern Blue Plebejus idas Edith's Copper Tharsalea editha Purplish Copper Tharsalea helloides Sooty Hairstreak Satyrium fuliginosa Coral Hairstreak Satyrium titus Bramble Hairstreak Callophrys dumetorum Brown Elfin Callophrys augustinus Echo Azure Celastrina echo Cascadia Blue Euphilotes heracleoides Leona's Blue Philotiella leona Boisduval's Blue Icaricia icarioides Anna's Blue Plebejus anna Great Copper Tharsalea xanthoides Lilac-bordered Copper Tharsalea nivalis Half-moon Hairstreak Satyrium semiluna Gold-hunter's Hairstreak Satyrium auretorum Sheridan's Hairstreak Callophrys sheridanii Moss's Elfin Callophrys mossii Asher's Blue Celastrina asheri Bauer's Blue Euphilotes baueri Western Pygmy Blue Brephidium exilis Shasta Blue Icaricia shasta Melissa's Blue Plebejus melissa

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Leona's Little Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Doral View Sand Cr drainage, Klamath Co, July 6 Leona's Little Blue Philotiella leona AKA: Euphilotes leona Leona Blue Size: Up to 0.75 inches wingspan Key ID features: Small. Males dusky blue above with darker wing borders. Female dark brown. Below white or off-white with bold black spots, larger on FW, boldly checked fringes on FW. Similar species: No other similar species in Oregon. Host plant: Eriogonum spergulinum (Spurry buckwheat). Habitat: Pumice lands east of Crater Lake near host plant. Range: 6 square mile area east of Crater Lake. Season: Mid-June to late July Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: USFS Sensitive Species. Was proposed to be listed as Endangered under Federal Endangered Species Act, but after a 5-year review, listing was judged to be "not warranted."

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Pink-edged Sulphur butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Lake Cr Trail, Deschutes Co, July 3 - male Pink-Edged Sulphur Colias interior Size: 1.5 - 2.0 inches wingspan Key ID features: Male above, solid black wing borders. Female above, smudgy FW border, can be either pale yellow or white. Below, HW yellow, with little or no black scaling, and discal spot single-rimmed with no satellite. Usually with bright pink wing fringes. Flight pattern is more relaxed than other sulphurs. Perhaps the most important clue for ID is the pattern of dark over-scaling on the ventral hindwing: often light overall and more dense toward the thorax and gradually fading out past the discal spot . Similar species: Other similar sulphur species in Oregon lack the gradual decrease in the density of overscaling on the dorsal hindwing (see above). Clouded Sulphurs have double ring around discal spot on HW below. Western Sulphurs greenish on HW below. Queen Alexandra's Sulphurs are larger, have more pointed wings, heavier black overscaling below with a strong greenish cast, and lighter pink wing borders. Host plant: Various species of Vaccinium (huckleberry). Habitat: Mid-elevation forest clearings, meadows marshes and heathlands. Range: Central OR Cascades and Blue Mountains. Season: Early June to mid-September Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for Small Wood Nymph. Gallery Prev Next Mill Cr Rd, Lane Co, August 9 Sylvan Wood Nymph Cercyonis silvestris AKA Sylvan Satyr Size: Up to 1.75 inch wingspan Note: this species, formerly assumed to be a west-side segregate of Great Basin Wood Nymph, was recently clarified by DNA analysis to be a distinct species. Key ID features: Above grayish-brown usually with two eye spots on FW. Below, striated chocolate brown with one to several small eyespots on HW, two eyespots on FW, lower spot usually noticeably smaller than upper spot. Dark median line on HW sometimes indistinct, less erratically jagged than on Small Wood Nymph. Similar species: Great Basin Wood Nymph is slightly larger, more grayish below, with more prominent HW median bands below, and HW median line more distinct and jagged. Small Wood Nymph is typically somewhat smaller and darker, with more distinct and more jagged VHW median line, and usually with significantly smaller lower eyespot. Host plant: Undetermined grass species. Habitat: Openings in forested habitats, and along forest roads in foothills and mountains. Range: West slope of the Cascades in Linn, Lane, Douglas,and Jackson counties. Season: Late July to late September Abundance: Locally common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Asher's Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Meltolius River, Deschutes County, May 25 Asher's Blue Celastrina asheri Size: 0.9 - 1.1 inches wingspan Key ID features: This a recently described species (2021). Male hazy blue above, with no black markings. Female dusky-blue, often extensively darkened above. Dorsal wing fringes may be somewhat or heavily darkened. Below, dusky-gray, with extremely variable black and gray markings. Discal hindwing spots are swollen and elongated compared to Echo Azure, and all discal hindwing spots may be expanded and or fused with each other. Similar species: Distinguished from Echo Azure by its smaller size, shorter and more rounded wings, with the ventral ground color being dusky to gray, discal spots larger than in C. echo, and often with darker gray patches of various shapes and sizes. Host plants: r ed osier dogwood and possibly oceanspray . Habitat: Shrubby habitats and riparian areas. Range: Has been documented in Baker, Clackamas, Crook, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Jefferson, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, and Wasco counties. Further field study is needed to better understand the distribution in Oregon. Season: Late March to late July, peaking in early May at lower elevations, and in early June at higher elevations Abundance: Can be locally common near host plant. Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Johnson's Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Deception Creek, Lane Co, June 26 Johnson's Hairstreak Callophrys johnsoni Size: 1.25 - 1.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above both sexes brown. Below chocolate brown. Long tails on HW. White median line containing flattened "W" near white-tipped tails, and submarginal row of black spots (sometimes vague) along half of trailing margin of HW. Similar species: Thicket HS has more prominent "W" (or "M") in white median line, is blue above, and submarginal spots on HW below run entire length of trailing margin. Host plant: Dwarf mistletoes that grow on Western Hemlock and Grand fir (in the Cascade Range) and on Ponderosa Pine (in the Blue Mountains). Habitat: Clearings in old growth coniferous forest (Ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, western hemlock, grand fir). Range: Cascade Range, Siskiyou Mtns, and in the Blue Mtns in Baker and Union counties. Season: Mid-May to early September Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Oregon State Species of Concern