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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 Arrowhead Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Gert Canyon, Wasco Co, May 4, female Arrowhead Blue Glaucopsyche piasus Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Noticeably larger than most blues. Violet-blue above, with dark wing borders, white checked fringes. Below brownish-gray, HW with white arrows pointing toward median band of black spots. Similar species: No other Oregon blue has white arrows on HW below pointing toward body. Host plant: Lupine species (Lupinus ) Habitat: Open areas with lupines in sage-steppe, ponderosa pine stands, canyons and wet meadows. Range: Most of Oregon east of the Cascade Range and in SW Oregon. Season: Early April to late August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Common Sootywing butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Jones Canyon, Wasco County, May 4 Common Sootywing Pholisora catullus Size: Up to 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Small. Above very dark brown to black with several small white spots near FW wingtip, row of tiny submarginal white spots on FW and HW. Below deep brown-black with a few white spots near the tip of the FW. Head mostly white. Similar species: Common Roadside Skipper is browner, with checked wing fringes. Dun Skipper much lighter, lacks white FW spots above and below. Host plant: Weedy species in the goosefoot family, such as lamb's quarters, goosefoot, pigweed, etc . Habitat: Disturbed weedy areas, shrub desert, alkali flats, and along waterways. Range: In north half of state, east of the Cascade Range and north of Crook County. In south half of state, east of Lake County. Season: Late March to early September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Pelidne Sulphur butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Bonny Lakes Trail, Wallow Co, August 2 Pelidne Sulphur Colias skinneri AKA: Skinner's Sulphur Skinner's Pelidne Sulphur Size: 1.25 - 1.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Smallish. Above lemon yellow, with solid dark brown to black borders. Below, HW dusted with black over-scaling, sometimes giving olive cast. On HW below, discal spot is small, thickly-rimmed in rose or reddish brown. Forewing also has more black over-scaling than other sulphurs in Oregon . Wing edges have a narrow rose-colored band (not pink). Similar species: This species has more extensive black overscaling on the VFW, which extends further from the FW leading edge. Clouded Sulphurs have double ring around discal spot on HW below. Western Sulphurs look greenish on HW below. Pink-edged Sulphurs have more rounded wings, and have much less overscaling below and have pink wing borders. Host plant: Various species of Vaccinium (huckleberry). Habitat: High forest clearings and moist meadows with Vaccinium . Range: In Oregon, only found in Wallowa Mtns and on Steens Mtn. Season: L ate June to early-September Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Sylvan Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Frissell Ridge, Lane Co, July 17 Sylvan Hairstreak Satyrium sylvinus Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Warm, toasty brown above. Below, lighter gray-brown with median pale black spot band. On HW below, dash or checkmark spot next to blue patch below tail. Blue patch not edged in orange inwardly. HW and FW below with vague submarginal band of black lines, only two or three of which are edged outwardly with orange near tail. Similar species: California HS is generally more boldly marked, has black V-shaped spot next to the blue patch (not checkmark or dash), has orange on the inward edge of the HW blue patch, and has orange halos on black crescents along most of the outer margin below, often including the forewing . Host plant: Willows (Salix sp.) . Habitat: Meadows, willow stands, and canyon slopes near water. Range: East slope of Cascades, most of SE and SW Oregon except Gilliam, Morrow and Umatilla counties and Wallowa Mtns. Season: Early May to mid-September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Bramble Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Meadow Cr, Jefferson Co, May 9 Bramble Hairstreak Callophrys dumetorum AKA Bramble Green Hairstreak Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above both sexes light brown. Below bright grass-green, sometimes with broken white median line on HW. Below, green on FW restricted to the leading 1/3. Perches on shrubs or grasses, rarely on ground. Similar species: Sheridan's perches on the ground, range of Western Green typically does not overlap. Host plant: Lotus crassisfolius, Lotus nevadensis var. douglasii . Habitat: Openings in Douglas-fir and Ponderosa pine forests, along road cuts and powerline corridors. Range: North Coast Range, Western Cascades, NE Cascades, Siskiyou Mtns, Warner Mtns. Season: Late March to mid-July Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Nevada Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next E Camp Cr Rd, Baker Co, June 22 Thank you to Dana Ross and Paul Hammond , volunteers at OSAC! Nevada Skipper Hesperia nevada Size: Up to 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, bright tan-orange, dark wing borders fade into orange. Below dark gray-green with disjointed white spot band, with lowest white patch on outer band dramatically displaced inwardly. Similar species: Juba and Western Branded skippers also have the lowest white spot in the outer band displaced inwardly, but not nearly as much. Host plant: Grass species, including western needlegrass (Achnatherum occidentale ). Habitat: Sage-steppe plateaus, and ridge and peak summits, usually above 4500 feet. Range: Warner Mtns, Baker County, north end of Malheur County, south portion of Grant, Crook and Deschutes counties. Season: Early May to late July Abundance: Locally common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Monarch butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Summer Lake, Lake Co, August 6 Monarch Danaus plexippus Size: 3.0 - 4.5 inch wingspan Key ID features: Large. Above deep orange with black veins, black borders with double row of white spots, FW tips black with white and light orange spots. Below, similar pattern except Orange areas on HW are light creamy orange, and FW tip has two creamy light orange patches surrounded by black border with white spots. Similar species: Viceroy is smaller, FWs shorter, has black curved line diagonally across HW. Host plant: Milkweeds (Asclepias ) . Habitat: Can be found almost anywhere during migration. Range: Found throughout Oregon. Season: Early June to late October Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Has been submitted for Federal Listing as Threatened.

Directory with photos and links for all of Oregon's butterflies in the skipper family. Skippers Click photo for more details Silver-spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarus Mojave Sootywing Hesperopsis libya Two-Banded Checkered-Skipper Pyrgus ruralis Common Roadside Skipper Amblyscirtes vialis Lindsey's Skipper Hesperia lindseyi Sonoran Skipper Polites sonora Dun Skipper Euphyes vestris Northern Cloudywing Thorybes pylades Dreamy Duskywing Erynnis icelus Common Checkered-Skipper Burnsius communis Uncas Skipper Hesperia uncas Nevada Skipper Hesperia nevada Sachem Skipper Atalopedes campestris Western Cloudywing Thorybes diversus Propertius Duskywing Erynnis propertius Northern White Skipper Heliopetes ericetorum Juba Skipper Hesperia juba Peck's Skipper Polites peckii Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides Nevada Cloudywing Thorybes nevada Pacuvius Duskywing Erynnis pacuvius Arctic Skipper Carterocephalus skada Western Branded Skipper Hesperia colorado Sandhill Skipper Polites sabuleti Rural Skipper Ochlodes agricola Common Sootywing Pholisora catullus Persius Duskywing Erynnis persius Garita Skipperling Oarisma garita Columbian Skipper Hesperia columbia Mardon Skipper Polites mardon Yuma Skipper Ochlodes yuma

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Shasta Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Wickiup Plain, Lane Co, August 12 Shasta Blue Icaricia shasta Size: 0.85 - 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Male dark blue above with dark cell end bars 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. Both sexes gray below with gray-rimmed black median spots, and submarginal black spots with iridescent eyes bordered inwardly with black, rimmed inwardly with orange. Similar species: Separated from other Icaricia blues by gray ground color below and HW spots with iridescent eyes. Host plant: Several pea family species including lupines, clovers, and milkvetches . Habitat: High rocky ridges, plateaus, and high pumice flats. Range: Found in central and south-central Oregon in Ochocos, east slope of Cascades, Warners, and on Steens Mtn. Season: Mid-June to mid-August Abundance: Locally common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Great Copper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next West Eugene Wetlands, Lane Co, July 25 - female Great Copper Tharsalea xanthoides AKA Lycaena xanthoides Size: 1.25- 1.75 inches wingspan Key ID features: Large for a copper. May have very short tail. Female above gray-brown with tan patches, black spots, and orange lunules (series of crescent shapes) on the trailing edge of the HW. Male above gray-brown, with only a few small spots along HW trailing margin. Below HW grayish brown with black spots, submarginal white band, and pale zigzag orange line along VHW trailing margin. Female with bolder zigzag orange line along VHW trailing margin. Often has a noticeable though small tail. Similar species: Edith's Copper is smaller, often with darker dorsal ground color, and VHW spots are larger and closer together . Edith's tend to have no tail or a tiny stub of a tail. Host plant: Dock (Rumex ) species are suspected. Habitat: Grassy hillsides in the south, wet meadows in the Willamette Valley. Range: South Siskiyou Mtns, southern Willamette Valley. Season: Mid-June to early September Abundance: Locally common Conservation Status: Secure throughout most of its range, but population in southern Willamette Valley is perilously small.

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Great Basin Fritillary butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Catherine Cr Rd, Union County, July 8, ssp. nigrescent Great Basin Fritillary Argynnis egleis AKA Speyeria egleis Size: Up to 2.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Smallish. Varies significantly among subspecies especially below. Medium orange above with 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 ground color of "disc" on HW generally light brown, with large silvery-white oval spots usually with darker halos or caps. Similar species: Zerene and Callippe both have darker disc color below. Hostplant: Violet (Viola ) species . Habitat: Varies by ssp. in each region, including ridgetops, meadows, pumice flats and subalpine slopes. Range: Found in southern Cascades, Siskiyou Mtns, Klamath Mtns, Ochocos, and in Wallowas and northeastern Blue Mtns. Season: Mid-June to early September. Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure