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 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 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 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

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Gorgon Copper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Mt. Ashland Rd, Jackson Co, July 15 Gorgon Copper Tharsalea gorgon AKA Lycaena gorgon Size: 1.25 - 1.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Male above coppery orange, with not spots, with purple irridescence when fresh. Female above light coppery orange with black spots, crescents and margins. Below HW grayish white with black spots, and submarginal row of black chevrons with orange borders. Similar species: Ground color of Great Copper above is more gray; below Great Copper lacks band of chevrons with orange borders below. Edith's is smaller and has brown spots below. Purplish Copper is smaller and has fewer and smaller black spots below. Host plant: Eriogonum nudum (bare-stemmed buckwheat). Habitat: Meadows, open areas along streams, roadsides. Range: Found in Siskiyou Mtns, Klamath Mtns, and Warner Mtns. Season: Late May to mid-August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Clodius Parnassian butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Mule Mountain Ridge, Lane Co, August 5, male Clodius Parnassian Parnassius clodius Size: 2.25 - 3 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above, white, gray/translucent wings with red spots, and all-black or nearly all-black antennae. Same general pattern below, but HW below often has additional red patches basally, and red spots in the median area usually have pink centers. Similar species: Mountain Parnassian (Parnassius smintheus ), which is smaller, and has boldy black/white barred antennae. Host plant: Pacific Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa ). Habitat: Mountain meadows and moist, open mountain woodlands, occasionally in lowlands. Range: Western Oregon, Blue Mountains, Ochocos, Warner Mountains. Season: late May to late 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 Northern Crescent butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Izee Rd, Grant Co, June 25 - male Northern Crescent Phyciodes cocyta Size: Up to 1 inch wingspan Key ID features: Small. Male above, orange with black spots, checks and borders, sometimes with large open orange area on FW with black patches at the four "corners." Female above orange and light orange bands, separated by black. HW above with submarginal band of small black dots circled with orange, often with wide orange band just above. Male HW below creamy yellow with light brown irregular lines, and bright marginal crescent below midpoint, surrounded with brown. Female HW often with darker irregular brown lines, and lighter brown patch around crescent. Similar species: Female Field Crescent has light vertical bar in cell at leading edge of FW above (Northern lacks this). Host plant: Aster species, likely including Cascade aster (Eucephalus ledophyllus ) and alkali aster (Symphyotrichum frondosum , in lower areas) . Habitat: Wetlands, meadows, streambanks, dry grasslands. Range: Snake River basin, Burnt River basin, Strawberry Mtns . Season: Late April to late September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

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 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 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

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the California Crescent butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Lincoln Cr Rd, Jackson Co, May 20 California Crescent Phyciodes orseis Size: Up to 1.5 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, rows of orange and light orange spots separated by black. FW margin slightly indented. HW above with submarginal band of small black dots circled with orange. Below, bands of orange, cream and white with brown patches, postmedian yellow-tan band with small brown dots . Knobs on anntennae mostly orange. Similar species: Range does not overlap with Pale Crescent, P. orseis is larger than Field or Mylitta. Host plant: Thistles including Cirsium cymosum and C. andersonii . Habitat: Dry hillsides, streamsides and canyons. Range: Southern Siskiyou Mtns, Warner Mtns . Season: Late March to early August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure