Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for Mylitta Crescent butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Hills Creek Rd, Lane Co, Aug 27, male Mylitta Crescent Phyciodes mylitta Size: Up to 1.5 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, orange with black spots, checks and borders. Females have wider black border above. Fringes checked. HW above with submarginal band of small black dots circled with orange, on males this is below large unmarked orange patch. HW below cream, tan and brown bands and patches, and bright marginal crescent below midpoint, haloed with brown. Similar species: Pale Crescent is larger than Field or Mylitta. Mylitta lacks nearly rectangular black bar at trailing edge of FW above. Host plant: Mostly thistles, including Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle) . Habitat: Prairies, weedy fields, meadows, roadsides, marshes. Range: All of Oregon . Season: Late February to mid-October Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Mourning Cloak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Big Summit Prairie, Crook Co, June 19 Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa Size: Up to 3 inch wingspan and larger Key ID features: Large. Above deep maroon edged with black band with blue spots, and cream to golden marginal band with dark mottling. Below nearly black with striations and tan specks, pale tan submarginal band. Similar species: Above, unlike any other Oregon species. California Tortoiseshell orange and black above, below is more complexly marked and shaded. Milbert's Tortoiseshell is smaller, orange bands above, and below broad band of striated brown in outer half. Host plant: Willows, and many other shrubs and trees including alder, maple, poplar, spiraea . Habitat: In riparian areas, and other openings, usually near water. Range: Throughout Oregon . Season: Early May to mid-October. Abundance: Common. Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Coronis Fritillary butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Hand Lake, Lane Co, August 4 Coronis Fritillary Argynnis coronis AKA Speyeria coronis Size: Up to 3 inch wingspan Key ID features: 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. Below light tan-brown "disc" on HW with large silvery-white oval spots and warm tan submarginal band. Similar species: Callippe Fritillary is smaller, with silver spots showing through above more boldly. Host plant: Violet (Viola ) species, varying by region of state . Habitat: Open meadows, openings in oak-pine forest, lower slopes of mountains in eastern Oregon. Range: Cascade Range, Siskiyou Mtns, all of eastern Oregon except Gilliam, Morrow, Umatilla and Wallowa 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 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 Columbia Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Gert Canyon, Wasco Co, May 4 Columbia Dotted Blue Euphilotes columbiae AKA: Columbian Blue Columbia 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 yellowish-gray with bold black spots, and orange edges to submarginal black spots on HW. Similar species: Best told from other Euphilotes blues by host-plant association, location and flight period. Host plant: Eriogonum elatum (tall woolly buckwheat), E. compositum (arrowleaf buckwheat), and E. strictum (Blue Mtn buckwheat). Habitat: Well-drained sites where hostplant grows, including high plateaus, ridges, gravelly slopes and roadsides. Range: Columbia and Snake River basins in NE Oregon . Season: Mid-April to late June Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Oregon Swallowtail butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Lower Deschutes Canyon, Sherman Co, June 25 Thank you to Dana Ross and Paul Hammond , volunteers at OSAC! Oregon Swallowtail Papilio machaon oregonia Size: 2.75 - 3.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Upperside yellow with black bands, veins, and patches, long single tails, blue chevrons on black band near hindwing margin. On HW above, black "pupil" on red eyespot is at the edge of the red, not centered. Abdomen is yellow on sides with relatively narrow black bands on top and bottom. Below, similar pattern as above, with paler yellow ground color, with reddish-orange halos on some of the HW blue chevrons. Similar species: Anise Swallowtail somewhat smaller, black pupil on HW red eyespots is centered within the red, abdomen is mostly black, with narrow yellow bands on sides. Host plant: Wild tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus ). Habitat: Canyons, hillsides, where host plant is found, and on cliffs, ridges, plateaus and mountains above. Range: Throughout Deschutes, Columbia and Snake River basins. Season: Mid-March to mid-October Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

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

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

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Common Checkered Skipper. Gallery Prev Next Illinois River Rd, Josephine Co, April 23 Common Checkered Skipper Burnsius communis Size: Up to 1 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, very dark brown, with gray shading basally on FW, boldly checked fringes and numerous bright white patches (longer than on Two-Banded) . Overall lighter than Two-Banded due to more white patches. Below large white patches, with jagged brown bands, edged in darker brown. Similar species: Two-Banded Checkered Skipper is darker, has fewer white spots above and less white below. Host plant: Various species in the mallow family. Habitat: Found in a wide variety of habitats, both disturbed and undisturbed. Range: All of Oregon except the far NW corner. Season: Mid-April to mid-September Abundance: Common 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 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 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