Search this site

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the California Tortoiseshell butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Buford Park, Lane Co, June 2 California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica Size: Up to 2.5 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above bright orange with black and white patches on the leading edge of FW, a few smaller black spots on FW, and dark border on FW and HW. Below striated two-toned with darker inner half and brown outer half with darker margin, and often a dark gray-blue submarginal line. Similar species: Above, Milbert's dark basally with bright orange rim. Below, Milbert's Tortoiseshell more distinctly two-toned, outer band lighter, more variable and more gray than brown. Host plant: Ceanothus species include snowbrush (C. velutinus ), deerbrush (C. integerrimus ) . Habitat: While dispersing, may be found in any habitat, including in the middle of urban areas. Otherwise in mountain slopes, canyons, meadows, riversides, road edges and shorelines. Range: Throughout Oregon . Season: Late January to early December. Abundance: Common, abundant in some years. Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the California Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Eight Dollar Mountain Rd, Josephine Co, June 4 California Hairstreak Satyrium californica Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Dark gray-brown above. Below, lighter gray-brown with median black spot band lightly edged with white. On HW below, black v-shaped or checkmark-shaped spot next to blue patch below tail. Inner edge of blue patch on hindwing often bordered by orange. HW (and often FW) below has submarginal band of black lines or checks edged outwardly with orange. Similar species: Sylvan HS is generally more lightly marked, lacks the black V-shaped spot next to the blue HW patch (checkmark or dash instead), and orange halos only on two or three submarginal black crescents on HW . Host plant: Primarily Purshia tridentata (Antelope bitterbrush) and Ceanothus velutinus (Snowbrush) . Habitat: Buckbrush scrub, oak woodlands, canyons. Range: East slope of Cascades, most of SE and SW Oregon, Wallowa 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 Gold-hunters Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Kinney Cr Rd, Jackson Co, May 26 Thank you to Dana Ross and Paul Hammond, volunteers at OSAC! Gold-hunter's Hairstreak Satyrium auretorum Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Light brown above. Slightly darker brown below with variable uneven spot bands, and submarginal band of black chevrons, female more strongly marked. Tail barely noticeable, with adjacent blue frosted patch, and one or two of the chevrons with a small orange patch. Similar species: Somewhat similar to Hedgerow HS, which has more defined median line on HW below. Mountain Mahogany HS is more grayish below, often with a more frosted look. Host plant: Oaks (Quercus ), primarily Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana ) . Habitat: Oak-pine stands and shrubby habitats near oaks. Range: Along California border in Jackson County and SE Klamath County. Season: Early June to mid-July Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Dreamy Duskywing butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Box Canyon Meadows, Lane Co, July 9 Dreamy Duskywing Erynnis icelus Size: Up to 1.5 inch wingspan Key ID features: Small for a Duskywing. Males have hump at leading edge of FW. Above, FW gray-brown with frosted band and spots, no hyaline (translucent) spots near FW tip as on other Duskywings. HW plainer gray-brown with vague light spots. Below brown with light spots and pale gray patch near FW tip. Similar species: Other duskywings are larger, and have translucent hyaline spots on FW. Host plant: Willows and aspens. Habitat: Open meadows and road cuts, up to mid-elevations. Range: Siskiyou Mtns, Cascade Range, Blue Mtns, Wallowa Mtns, northern Coast Range. Season: Early April to late July Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Brown Elfin butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Grassy Glade, Lane Co, June 25 Brown Elfin Callophrys augustinus Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above both sexes brown or orangish brown (females), unmarked. Below HW violet to pink scaling over brown, usually two-toned with basal half somewhat darker, rarely with irregular median line, and sometimes light submarginal spot band. Similar species: Thicket HS has prominent "W" in white median line, is blue above, and submarginal spots on HW run entire length of trailing margin. Host plant: Wide range of plants including salal, madrone, manzanita, huckleberry, and many others . Habitat: Pine-oak woodlands, manzanita and salal thickets, sage-steppe, roadside seeps. Range: Most of Oregon except dry bottomlands east of the Cascade Range. Season: Mid-February to Late July Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Silver-Bordered Fritillary butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Williams Prairie, Crook Co, June 22 Silver-Bordered Fritillary Boloria myrina ( Was Boloria selene) Size: Up to 2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above bright citrus orange with black veins, and black irregular lines, black bands of spots and chevrons that point inward. Checked fringe, light orange. Below HW is complex pattern of pearly silver/white patches, cream patches, burgundy patches and burgundy veins. Similar pattern on FW tip below, remainder of FW bright orange with black markings. Similar species: Pacific Fritillary has softer black submarginal markings above, and submarginal black triangles that point outward. Below Pacific has softer pattern of mauve, lavender and pale orange in the outer half of HW. Host plant: Violets, mostly Viola palustris (Marsh violet) and V. nephrophylla (Bog violet). Habitat: Marshy fields, riparian areas with willows. Range: Found in isolated colonies in Ochoco Mtns, Strawberry Mts, Wallowa Mtns. Season: Late May to mid-August (varies by site) Abundance: Locally common Conservation Status: Secure .

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 American Copper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Oregon State Arthropod Collection #0000819569 - male Thank you to Dana Ross and Paul Hammond , volunteers at OSAC! American Copper Lycaena hypophlaeas Size: 0.75- 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above FW coppery orange with black spots and dark brown borders. Above HW gray-brown with wide orange band along most of trailing margin. Below HW gray with black spots, orange wavy submarginal line. Similar species: Upperside is unlike any other copper. Separated from Purplish Copper by location and habitat. Host plant: Suspected to be Mountain Sorrel (Oxyria digyna) . Habitat: Steep high-elevation talus slopes. Range: High peaks in the Wallowa Mtns. Season: Mid-August to mid-September Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Coral Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Beaver Cr, Wasco Co, July 1 Coral Hairstreak Satyrium titus Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Both sexes mousy-brown above. Below, same mousy-brown with median black spot band circled with white. HW below with submarginal band of orange spots edged inwardly with black and white. Similar species: No other Oregon butterfly has submarginal HW row of orange spots against light brown background below. Host plant: Primarily Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana ) . Habitat: Canyons, meadow edges, riparian creek edges. Range: Primarily NE Oregon, also Steens Mtn, Warner Mtns, Klamath Mtns. Season: Late May to early September Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

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 swallowtail, white and sulphur families. Swallowtails, Whites & Sulphurs Click photo for more details Clodius Parnassian Parnassius clodius Western Tiger Swallowtail Papilio rutulus Western Sulphur Colias occidentalis Julia's Orangetip Anthocharis julia Pine White Neophasia menapia Checkered White Pontia protodice Mountain Parnassian Parnassius smintheus Pale Swallowtail Papilio eurymedon Queen Alexandra's Sulphur Colias alexandra Gray Marble Anthocharis lanceolata Mustard White Pieris marginalis Western White Pontia occidentalis Oregon Swallowtail Papilio machaon Two-tailed Swallowtail Papilio multicaudata Pelidne Sulphur Colias pelidne Large Marble Euchloe ausonides Cabbage White Pieris rapae Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice Pink-Edged Sulphur Colias interior California Marble Euchloe hyantis Becker's White Pontia beckerii Indra Swallowtail Papilio indra Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme Sara's Orangetip Anthocharis sara Desert Marble Euchloe lotta Spring White Pontia sisymbrii

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for Small Wood Nymph. Gallery Prev Next Newberry Caldera, Deschutes Co, July 16 Small Wood Nymph Cercyonis oetus AKA Dark Wood Nymph Size: Up to 1.75 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above gray-brown with one or two eye spots on FW. Below, striated brown with one to several small eyespots on HW, two eyespots on FW upper one usually much larger than lower, lower spot closer to wing margin than upper, lower spot sometimes missing. Dark median line on HW erratically jagged--much more so than on other Wood Nymphs in our area. Similar species: Great Basin Wood Nymph is larger, has more prominent bands below, lower eyespot only slightly smaller than upper, HW median line less jagged. Sylvan Wood Nymph plainer, with HW median line less jagged. Host plant: Undetermined grass species . Habitat: Grassy habitats including sage-steppe, plateaus, montane meadows and dry hillsides. Range: Eastern Oregon. Season: Late May to late September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure