Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Sierra Nevada Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Bradley Lake Meadows, Douglas Co, July 13 - male Sierra Nevada Blue Agriades podarce AKA Sierra Blue Size: 1.0 - 1.2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Male dusky gray-blue to sky blue above, dark gray wing borders with white fringes, black cell end bars (FW), and white circles with black centers along trailing margin. Female mostly gray to gray-brown above, with prominent FW cell end bar and light blue-gray circles with dark centers along trailing margin. Below FW and HW have black spots ringed with white, and submarginal row of black checks or chevrons rimmed in white against brown or gray-brown background, with marginal row of black spots rimmed with white. Similar species: Arctic Blue has white patches against dark gray background on HW below, and may or may not still exist in Oregon. Host plant: Likely to be Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon aplinum and D. jeffreyi ) . Habitat: Moist meadows above 5,000 feet. Range: Along the crest of the southern Cascades, along the western border of Klamath County. Season: Late June to early August Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Directory with photos and links for all of Oregon's butterflies in the skipper family.

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Behr's Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Sand Creek, Klamath Co, July 1 Behr's Hairstreak Satyrium behrii Size: 0.8 - 1.0 inches wingspan Key ID features: Both sexes orange-brown above. Below, gray-brown with white edged black markings against gray on HW. FW below mousy brown with small submarginal spot bands. Very short stubby tails or no tails. Similar species: May be confused with a Hedgerow HS, which has more prominent, white-tipped tails, with an adjacent blue patch and a darker brown ground color. Host plant: Antelope bitterbrush (Purshiana tridentata ) . Habitat: Shrub-steppe, canyons, riparian areas, canyons, oak-pine forests. Range: Siskiyou Mtns, east slope of Cascades, and most of Oregon east of the Cascades except for Blue Mtns. 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 Becker's White butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Summer Lake, Lake County, August 5 Becker's White Pontia beckerii Size: 1.5 - 2.0 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above, white with black markings near tip of forewing. Below, bold greenish borders along veins especially on hindwing. Similar species: Western White is smaller and much less green along veins below. Host plant: A large number of arid land mustards. Habitat: Arid habitats, both disturbed and undisturbed. Range: Primarily east of the Cascade Mtns, with a few records in the Willamette Valley. Season: Mid-March to mid-September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Snowberry Checkerspot butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Rd 23 Meadows, Lane Co, July 8 Snowberry Checkerspot Euphydryas colon Size: Up to 2.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Quite variable. Above black with red and ivory spots, marginal band of red spots, sometimes absent on HW. On HW above submarginal row of small ivory spots. On HW below bands of ivory and red spots edged in black, crossed by black veins. Pattern of bands (starting at margin) is red-white-red-white -white. Similar species: Edith's checkerspot has red-white-red-red -white band pattern on HW below (starting at margin). Chalcedona Checkerspot has larger and paler ivory spots in submarginal row on HW above. Host plant: Snowberry species (Symphoricarpos ), including S. albus , and members of the figwort family, including penstemons, paintbrushes, and honeysuckle . Habitat: Mountain meadows, riparian areas, open woodlands, roadsides. Range: Cascade Range, Siskiyou Mtns, Warner Mtns, Ochoco Mtns, Blue Mtns . Season: Late April to late August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Greenish Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Lincoln Cr Rd, Jackson Co, May 20 Greenish Blue Icaricia saepiolus Size: 0.85 - 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Male bright blue above with narrow dark wing borders and white fringes. Female brown above with some blue scaling inwardly, and vague or no orange zigzag along trailing margin. Both sexes have distinct black cell end bars on FW above. Male blue-gray below with black spots and marginal row of black triangles. Female below brownish-gray with bold black spots, and orange edges to submarginal black spots on HW. HW below usually has two closely spaced black triangles edged with orange at anal angle of wing. Similar species: Boisduval's blues have black spots below with substantial white halos, and lack orange edged triangles at anal angle of HW. Hostplant: Several clover species (Trifolium ) . Habitat: Wet meadows and riparian areas with clover. Range: Irregular distribution pattern, in Cascades, Ochocos, Blues, Wallowas, Siskiyous, Klamaths and Warner Mtns, plus disjunct populations along the south and middle coast . Season: Late April to late August Abundance: Common inland, scarce along coast Conservation Status: coastal subspecies imperiled in Oregon.

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Northern Checkerspot butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Crane Cr, Lake Co, May 30 - male Northern Checkerspot Chlosyne palla Size: Up to 1.75 inch wingspan Key ID features: Highly variable. Male above, bands of orange and sometimes yellow-orange, separated by black lines, crescents and checks . Female often darker than male above. Below bands of off-white and brick red with black veins and edges. Often on HW below, submarginal red band has yellowish centers in red spots. Similar species: Sagebrush Checkerspot pure white rather than off-white below. Hoffman's Checkerspot darker basally on HW above. Host plant: Not well-documented, but likely species in the aster family . Habitat: Sage desert, pinyon-juniper savanna, washes, gulches, canyons and brushy flats. Range: Meadows, roadsides, streambanks, clearings . Season: Late March to early August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Hoffman's Checkerspot butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Bachelor Mtn, Linn Co, July 13 Hoffmann's Checkerspot Chlosyne hoffmanni Size: 1.25 to 1.75 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, bands of orange and yellow-orange, separated by black lines and patches . Median band usually lighter. Basal 1/3 of HW above is mostly black with little orange. Below bands of off-white and brick red with black veins and edges. Red spots in postmedian band often longer than in similar species. Similar species: Northern Checkerspot often does not have the large black area on the basal HW above, and below post-median band spots are generally shorter than in Hoffman's. On Northern Checkerspot, the orange patches on the dorsal forewing are more distinct and smaller. On Hoffmann's, the orange bars in the middle of the forewing are much longer, and often have a "smeared" look, a gradient of shades of orange. Hostplant: Asters, including western showy aster (Eurybia conspicua ) and Cascade aster (Eucephalus ledophyllus ) . Habitat: Moist montane meadows, canyons, streamsides, clearings in conifer forests. Range: Cascade Range above 1000 feet. 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 Common Alpine. Gallery Prev Next Coyle Cr Rd, Crook Co, June 29 Common Alpine Erebia epipsodea AKA Butler's Alpine Size: Up to 2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above very dark brown with orange patches containing small black eyespots with white centers--two closely spaced eyespots and sometime two or more additional smaller eyespots on FW, three to five eyespots on HW. Below similar to above, but with HW having a slightly grizzled or rough look compared to clean dark brown above. Similar species: None. Host plant: Grasses including Foxtail bristlegrass (Setaria italica ) . Habitat: Grassy habitats including sage-steppe, plateaus, montane meadows and dry hillsides. Range: Northeastern Oregon in Ochoco Mtns, Wallowa Mtns, Blue Mtns. Season: Early May to early August 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 Lupine Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Frissell Ridge, Lane Co, July 18 - male Lupine Blue Icaricia lupini Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Male blue above with narrow black marginal band and white fringe, on HW red-orange band above marginal row of black spots, often with narrow darker band between orange and blue. Female brown above with darker marginal line and white fringe on FW, on HW broad orange band above row of dark brown marginal spots. Below, male light bluish gray, female brownish gray, with black spots. HW has row of marginal spots that are black inwardly, then orange, and outwardly black with a circle of iridescent blue. Similar species: Acmon Blue very similar, but tends to be smaller, and on males, tends to lack dark border between pinkish-orange band and blue on HW above. Note shorter flight season of Lupine Blue below. Host plant: Several Buckwheat (Eriogonum ) species . Habitat: Wide range of habitats, from sea level lowlands to montane habitats. Range: Found in all of eastern Oregon and SW Oregon and on Rickreall Ridge in Polk County. The high elevation segregate (AKA Volcano Blue) is found in high elevation pumice habitat near its host plant, Shasta Buckwheat. Season: Late May to early August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Blue Copper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Ditch Cr Rd, Morrow Co, July 7 - male Blue Copper Tharsalea heteronea AKA Lycaena heteronea Size: 1.25 - 1.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Male above bright blue with black veins, black border and white fringe. Female above blueish gray with small black spots. Female HW below white with light spots; FW below with black spots. Male similar below but with lighter or no spots on HW. Similar species: Male is larger and faster-flying than similar blues. Female somewhat similar to Ruddy Copper, which has orange zigzag above and orange wash below. Host plant: Buckwheat (Eriogonum ) species. Habitat: High sagelands, grasslands, montane and subalpine slopes and ridges, canyons and plateaus . Range: Cascade Mtns and eastern Oregon except Columbia River drainage in Gilliam, Morrow and Umatilla counties. Season: Early May to early September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure