Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Western White butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Eagle Cap Wilderness, Wallowa Co, Aug 26 - female Western White Pontia occidentalis Size: 1.25 - 1.75 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above, male white with black or gray markings on forewing, female has more extensive markings on both wings. Below dark overscaling creates gray-green margins along hindwing veins, darker in spring. Similar species: Co-occurs with Checkered White in SE Oregon. The two species are not separable in flight. Female Checkered White is less sharply marked, often with olive or brown shades above instead of the gray-black of Western. Male Checkered White has narrower gray marks on the forewing margins with more white in between, and forewing markings are less extensive in general. Host plant: Many native species in the mustard family. Habitat: Open habitats, including woodland openings, mountain meadows, and barren areas above tree line. Range: Throughout Oregon west of the Cascade Crest. 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 Northern Blue butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Catherine Cr Rd, Wallowa Co, July 8 Northern Blue Plebejus idas Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Male deep violet-blue above with black marginal band and white fringe. Female brown above with scalloped orange marginal band, clearer and bolder on HW. Below, light bluish gray with black spots, with row of marginal spots that are black inwardly, then orange, and outwardly black with a patch of iridescent blue, lighter and less clear on FW. Similar species: Male Acmon and Lupine Blues have orange band on HW above, and females of those species have no orange on FW above. Melissa Blue has brighter orange borders and bolder iridescent patches on HW below. Anna's Blues don't occur east of the Cascades in NE Oregon. Host plant: May be using plants in the pea family and/or heath family . Habitat: Moist, cool montane meadows and forest openings, and dry meadows among conifers. Range: Found from Ochocos to Wallowas and Blue Mtns in NE Oregon. Season: Early June to late August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Pale Crescent butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Gert Canyon, Wasco Co, May 4, male Pale Crescent Phyciodes pallida Size: Up to 2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, orange patches and bands separated by black, much lighter in males. FW fringes checked, HW fringes white. HW above with submarginal band of small black dots circled with orange. Males especially have squarish black bar at middle of FW trailing edge above . Below white, tan and brown bands and patches. Similar species: Pale Crescent is larger than Field or Mylitta. Mylitta lacks squarish black bar at trailing edge of FW above. Host plant: Thistles including Cirsium undulatum . Habitat: Dry foothill gullies, streamsides and canyons. Range: Lower Deschutes River basin, Snake River basin . Season: Mid-April to early August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the California Marble butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Illinois River, Josephine Co, May 5 California Marble Euchloe hyantis AKA Pearly Marble Size: 1.25 - 1.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above, off-white with dark gray pattern on FW tip and narrow black bar in forewing cell with no white scaling. Below, dark green marbling with minimal yellowish wash against pearly white background and yellow veins. Similar species: Large Marble is notably larger. Desert Marble lacks pearly or shiny look to white areas between darker green marbling below, and is not found in Josephine County. Host plant: Streptanthus (Jewel-flower) and possibly Arabis and Draba species. Habitat: Open montane and foothill slopes, dry meadows and canyons. Range: Primarily found in Josephine County near Jewel-flower. Season: Mid-March to early June Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Indra Swallowtail butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Illinois River Rd, Josephine Co, April 24 Indra Swallowtail Papilio indra Size: 2.25 - 2.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Upperside mostly black with narrow band of yellow on forewing, stubby tails, blue patches on black band near hindwing margin. Underside almost identical to upper side, with paler black. Similar species: Anise Swallowtail has much less black on forewing and longer tails. Host plant: Wild members of the parsley family. Habitat: Dry canyons, riverbanks and roadsides, hilltops, rocky desert washes. Range: Blue Mtns, northern portion of Cascade Mtns on east side, Steens Mtn, and Klamath Mtns. Season: Late March - mid-August Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Uncas Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Millican Flats, Deschutes Co, June 24 Uncas Skipper Hesperia uncas Size: Up to 1.4 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, male brownish orange darker wingtips with light orange spots. Above female brown with jagged row of light orange spots. Below dark greenish gray with lighter veins, and disjointed white bands joined by thin vein lines. Similar species: Sandhill Skipper has light veins below but they are tan or yellowish. Nevada Skipper lacks light veins, and has the lowest segment of the outer spot band strongly offset on HW below. Host plant: Grass species. Indian ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides ) is suspected in Oregon. Habitat: Sage-steppe, hot dry plains, alkali basins, arid canyons. Range: Far southeast corner of Harney and Malheur counties, alkali and sage flats in southern Crook and northern Jefferson counties. Season: Late May to late June Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Garita Skipperling butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Izzee Rd Meadow, Grant Co, June 29 Garita Skipperling Oarisma garita Size: Up to 1 inch wingspan Key ID features: Small and triangular . Above, dark brown with brassy sheen, and veins that look darker than wings. Below lighter orange-brown, veins lighter than ground color. Similar species: No other similar species in Oregon. Host plant: Grass and sedge species. Habitat: Montane mid-elevation grasslands, moist pastures, weedy marshes and fields. Range: Grassy areas north and west of Wallowa Mtns. Season: Early June to early August Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Mustard White butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Plunkett Cr, Benton Co, July 31 Mustard White Pieris marginalis AKA Margined White Size: 1.25 - 1.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above milky-white, with black shading basally (near the thorax). Below, hindwing veins faintly lined with brownish black bands, bolder in spring. Summer brood males usually nearly pure white. Similar species: Cabbage White has black spot in center of FW. Host plant: Cresses, toothworts and other mustard species. Habitat: Openings in moist forests, usually coniferous. Range: Throughout western Oregon west of the Cascades, and in Ochoco, Wallowa Blue, and Warner Mtns. Season: Late March to early October Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Sagebrush Checkerspot butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Big Indian Gorge, Harney Co, June 20 - male Sagebrush Checkerspot Chlosyne acastus Size: Up to 1.75 inch wingspan Key ID features: Male above, bands of pale orange and yellow-orange, separated by black lines, crescents and checks . Basal 1/3 of HW above sometimes black with little orange. Male often lighter than female above. Below bands of chalk-white and brick red with black veins and edges. More white below than other similar species. Similar species: Northern Checkerspot darker above, and with off-white rather than white below. Host plant: Several species including green rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ), gray rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa ), desert yellow fleabane (Erigeron linearis ) and asters in the genus Dieteria . Habitat: Sage desert, pinyon-juniper savanna, washes, gulches, canyons and brushy flats. Range: Mostly below 5000 feet in SE Oregon deserts, and below 3000 feet in Columbia and Snake r iver basins . 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 Queen Alexandra's Sulphur butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Mtn Lakes Wilderness, Klamath Co, August 15 Queen Alexandra's Sulphur Colias alexandra Size: 2.0 - 2.8 inches wingspan Key ID features: Larger than any other Oregon sulphur, with more pointed FW. Below HW discal spot is white (not pearly) with no satellite spot, often unrimmed. Below HW has heavy black overscaling, giving strong green cast. Similar species: Clouded Sulphurs are smaller and have double ring around discal spot on HW below. Western Sulphurs are smaller and often have brighter pink wing borders. Pink-edged Sulphurs have more rounded wings, lack black overscaling below and have bright pink wing borders. Host plant: Various species in the pea family, especially Astragalus (milkvetch) and Medicago (alfalfa). Habitat: Meadows, roadsides, dry steppe slopes and forest glades. Range: Throughout eastern Oregon. Season: mid-April to mid-September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for Great Basin Wood Nymph. Gallery Prev Next Picture Rock Pass, Lake Co, Aug 5 Great Basin Woodnymph Cercyonis sthenele Size: Up to 2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, brown or gray-brown with two eye spots on FW, lower eye slightly smaller, otherwise plain. Below, silvery striated brown with one to several small eyespots on HW, two large eyespots on FW (lower one smaller as above), but nearly equidistant from FW margin. Dark median line below lobed, but smoother than in Small Wood Nymph. Similar species: Small Wood Nymph is smaller, and HW median line below is more erratically jagged. Host plant: Undetermined grass species . Habitat: Sage-steppe, bunchgrass prairie, pinyon-juniper stands, ponderosa pine lands, oak-lined canyons. Range: Eastern Oregon, Siskiyou Mtns, Cascade Range from Lane County south. Season: Late June to late September 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