Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Lilac-bordered Copper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Mt. Ashland Road, Jackson Co, July 9 - female Lilac-Bordered Copper Tharsalea nivalis AKA Lycaena nivalis Size: 1 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Male above brownish with orange zigzag line on trailing margin. Female above light orange with black spots and borders. HW below two-toned, creamy yellow next to the body, and lilac in the outer half, with vague zigzag orange line (colors brighter in female). Similar species: Purplish lacks distinctive two-toned HW below. Other coppers have white or grayish undersides. Host plant: Knotweeds (Polygonum). Habitat: Mountain meadows, openings in fir and pine forests . Range: All of Oregon's mountains except Coast Range. Season: Mid-May to late August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Pine White butterfly. Gallery Prev Next 3 Creeks Sno-Park, Deschutes Co, August 19 - male Pine White Neophasia menapia Size: 1.5 - 2.0 inches wingspan Key ID features: Bright white with black leading margin and tip of forewing. Underside of HW has veins outlined in black. Underside of female hindwing outlined in red-orange. Notably graceful flight pattern. Similar species: Mustard (margined) white has more delicate dark markings on veins below and lacks heavy black marks above Host plant: Douglas fir, Ponderosa pine and other pine species. Habitat: Fir and pine forests, and in some urban areas near pines. Range: Western Oregon and Ochoco Mtns, Blue Mtns and Wallowa Mtns. Season: Late June to mid-October Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Purplish Copper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next King Mountain Rd, Harney Co, June 13 - male Purplish Copper Tharsalea helloides AKA Lycaena helloides Size: 1 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Male above brownish with purple iridescence when fresh. Female above light orange with black spots and wide brown borders. Male and female HW below lavender with submarginal orange zigzag line (females darker); FW below with black spots. Similar species: Lilac-bordered has distinctive two-toned HW below. Other coppers have white or grayish undersides. Host plant: Docks (Rumex ) and Knotweeds (Polygonum). Habitat: Wide variety of habitats . Range: All of Oregon. Season: Late April to mid-October Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Moss's Elfin butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Jasper Rocks, Lane Co, February 24 Moss's Elfin Callophrys mossii Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above both sexes grayish brown. Below shades of reddish-brown with variable amount of lighter overscaling giving a somewhat frosted look, sometimes with shades of lavender. Broken white median line, stronger on HW. No tails. Similar species: Hoary Elfin has much stronger frosted look between trailing margin and postmedian line. Host plant: Several species of Stonecrop (Sedum ) . Habitat: Rocky slopes and ridges, canyon side slopes, stony flats, buttes, cliffs at oceanside. Range: Northern Cascades Range, Siskiyou Mtns, Ochocos, Blue Mtns. Season: Mid-February to mid-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 Columbian Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Kinney Cr Rd, Jackson Co, May 27 Columbian Skipper Hesperia columbia Size: Up to 1.4 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, bright orange often with deeply toothed dark border, male with dark stigmata on FW, female with dark patch in same location. Below greenish tan with reduced disjointed white bands, inner band reduced to a couple of spots. Similar species: Other grass skippers have bolder, more extensive white bands below. Host plant: Various grass species. Habitat: Dry shrubby habitats. Range: Jackson County and southern Josephine County. Season: Early May to mid-October Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Two-banded Checkered Skipper. Gallery Prev Next W Boundary Rd, Lane Co, April 12 Two-banded Checkered Skipper Pyrgus ruralis Size: Up to 1 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, Above very dark brown, with gray shading basally on FW, boldly checked fringes and bright white patches . White spots on FW in two rows that can look like an "x" to some. HW has bold spot bands, and a lone small white spot near the wing base (often covered). Below bands of brown, white and olive-gray on HW. Similar species: Common Checkered Skipper is much lighter above and below, with more and longer white patches above. Host plant: Checkermallows ( Sidalcea ) and wildflowers in the rose family like cinquefoil ( Potentilla ) and strawberry ( Fragaria ). Habitat: Mountain meadows and roadsides. Range: Cascade Range, Willamette Valley, Coast Range, Ochoco Mtns, Blue Mtns, Wallowa Mtns, Siskiyou Mtns, Klamath Mtns. Season: Early March to early September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Western Sulphur butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Prairie Farm Springs, Jefferson Co, July 1 Western Sulphur Colias occidentalis Size: 1.5 - 2.0 inches wingspan Key ID features: Males above, bright lemony yellow with unbroken black border. Females above lighter yellow or cream, with less distinct black border. Below, central pearly "discal" spot in HW with single pinkish-brown ring, and few or no submarginal black or brown spots. HW below has black over-scaling, giving it a green cast. Similar species: Clouded Sulphurs have heavier submarginal spots on HW below. Queen Alexandra's Sulphurs are larger, greener below, and usually lack pink discal spot-rim below. Host plant: Many species in the pea family. Habitat: Meadows, roadsides, dry steppe slopes and forest glades. Range: Mountain ranges throughout Oregon, except Coast Range. Season: early March to early November Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Edith's Copper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Bristow Prairie, Lane Co, July 8 - female Edith's Copper Tharsalea editha AKA Lycaena editha Size: 1.1 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Female above gray-brown with black spots and orange "arches" along upper HW trailing margin. Male above gray, with only a few small spots along HW trailing margin. Below HW grayish brown with brown spots outlined with darker brown, and submarginal white band. Female with darker, bolder spots on VFW and bolder orange line along VHW trailing margin. Similar species: Great Copper is larger, dorsal ground color often lighter, and HW spots smaller and further apart. Great Copper also often has a more noticeable tail. Tailed Copper has a prominent tail. Host plant: Dock (Rumex ) species and Knotweeds (Polygonum ). Habitat: Meadows, open areas along streams, roadsides. Range: Widespread in Siskiyou Mtns, Klamath Mtns, Warner Mtns, Southern Cascade Mtns, Ochoco Mtns, Blue Mtns. Wallowa Mtns. Season: Mid-June to early September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Half-moon Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Three Creeks Lake, Deschutes Co, August 6 Half-Moon Hairstreak Satyrium semiluna AKA Sagebrush Sooty Hairstreak Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Both sexes dull gray above and below. Below, median band of small dark spots with white halos, and submarginal band of black spots with halos. No tails. Similar species: May be confused with a female Boisduval's blue, which has some blue below (Half-moon has no blue), white fringes, and usually one to three black basal spots on HW below. Range does not overlap with closely related Sooty Hairstreak. Host plant: Lupines (Lupinus ) . Habitat: Subalpine meadows, high ridges, sage steppe, open slopes. Range: East of the Cascades except Columbia basin in Gilliam, Morrow and Umatilla counties. Season: Mid-May to early September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Hoary Elfin butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Undisclosed location, western Oregon Hoary Elfin Callophrys polios Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above both sexes gray-brown. Below shades of dark brown. Light white median line, stronger on FW, with strong "frosted" look between HW median line and HW margin. No tails. Similar species: Moss's Elfin lacks strong frosted look between trailing margin and postmedian line. Hostplant: Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ) . Habitat: Open rocky areas in mountains, coastal bluffs and dunes, forest roadsides, always close to Kinnikinnick. Range: Isolated populations in Blue Mtns, coastal Lincoln and Curry counties, and in Linn, Morrow and Wallowa counties. Season: L ate April to late May Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Coastal subspecies C. polios maritima is imperiled in OR