Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Sara's Orangetip butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Illinois River, Josephine Co, May 7 - female Sara's Orangetip Anthocharis sara AKA Sara Orangetip Size: 1.25 - 1.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Male white above, with bold orange FW tip. Female pale yellow-green above with smaller orange patch near FW tip. Below patchy marbling with light yellow veins. Similar species: Julia's Orangetip, which occurs throughout western Oregon and the Cascades is very similar and difficult to distinguish in the adult stage wherever they overlap. The two species are distinguished by several characteristics, including larval characteristics, number of overwintering cycles, and shape and color of the chrysalis. Host plant: Crucifers including several rockcresses. Habitat: Wide variety of open habitats. Range: Only found along the Oregon-California border in Jackson, Josephine and Curry counties. Season: Mid-March to mid-August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Satyr Comma butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Winberry Cr Rd, Lane Co, March 15 Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrus AKA Satyr Anglewing Size: Up to 2.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above bright orange with black blotches and spots, jagged wing edges, and dark marginal band, bolder on FW. HW above has yellow patches adjacent to dark marginal band (sometimes missing), and a prominent triangular black spot in the center of the HW. Below jagged bands of striated brown, gray and tan, with prominent white comma mark (tipped on its side) in center of HW, often barbed at both ends. Similar species: Light brown tones below separate this from other comma species. Host plant: Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica ) . Habitat: In riparian areas, forest openings. Range: Throughout Oregon . Season: Late February to early November. Abundance: Common. Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Clouded Sulphur butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Gateway alfalfa fields, Jefferson Co, Sep 2 - male Thank you to Dana Ross and Paul Hammond , volunteers at OSAC! Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice AKA: Colias eriphyle Eriphyle's Sulphur Size: 2.0 - 2.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Pale yellow above with black or dark gray border, lime-green or yellow below. Some females lack yellow pigment and are white with black border above. Forewing below has blackish submarginal spots, hindwing below has submarginal row of brown "eurytheme" spots. Discal spot usually enclosed by double red ring with satellite spot. Similar species: Male Orange Sulphur is shaded with orange. White females very difficult to separate, but in Orange Sulphur they tend to have a bolder dark border on the hindwing above. Western Sulphur has single red ring enclosing the discal spot. Host plant: Many species in the pea family. Habitat: Many types of habitats, both disturbed and undisturbed, but usually not along roads in deep forest. Range: All of eastern Oregon. Season: early May to mid-October Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Oregon Swallowtail butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Lower Deschutes Canyon, Sherman Co, June 25 Thank you to Dana Ross and Paul Hammond , volunteers at OSAC! Oregon Swallowtail Papilio machaon oregonia Size: 2.75 - 3.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Upperside yellow with black bands, veins, and patches, long single tails, blue chevrons on black band near hindwing margin. On HW above, black "pupil" on red eyespot is at the edge of the red, not centered. Abdomen is yellow on sides with relatively narrow black bands on top and bottom. Below, similar pattern as above, with paler yellow ground color, with reddish-orange halos on some of the HW blue chevrons. Similar species: Anise Swallowtail somewhat smaller, black pupil on HW red eyespots is centered within the red, abdomen is mostly black, with narrow yellow bands on sides. Host plant: Wild tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus ). Habitat: Canyons, hillsides, where host plant is found, and on cliffs, ridges, plateaus and mountains above. Range: Throughout Deschutes, Columbia and Snake River basins. Season: Mid-March to mid-October Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Western Branded Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Mtn Lakes Wilderness, Klamath Co, August 14 Western Branded Skipper Hesperia colorado Size: Up to 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, male orange with very light jagged line of orange spots, narrow dark brown edges (not toothed), bold dark stigmata on FW. Above female brown with jagged row of light orange spots, some almost white spots near wing tip, also with dark brown edges, like teeth pointing inward . Below greenish gray with disjointed white bands, sometimes small or missing, lowest patch of white on outer band not displaced inwardly. Similar species: On HW below Nevada Skipper has the lowest segment of the outer white spot band strongly offset. Juba Skipper is larger, has dark jagged "teeth" on FW above. Uncas Skipper and Sandhill Skipper have prominent light veins below. Host plant: Various grass species. Habitat: Broad range of grass dominated habitats. Range: All of eastern and southwestern Oregon. Season: E arly May to late September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Peck's Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Rd 3925, Grant Co, June 30 Peck's Skipper Polites peckius Size: Up to 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above, dark brown (males darker) with clusters of orange bars, and males with orange-brown on leading edge . FW below dark brown with mustard yellow patches. HW below mottled reddish brown with mustard yellow patches in connected bands. Similar species: HW pattern below is unique. Host plant: Grass species, Kentucky bluegrass, saltgrass, and bromes. Habitat: Wet meadows, roadsides and riparian areas. Range: Wallowa and Blue Mtns. Season: Late June to early August Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Hedgerow Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Crooked Cr, Lake Co, August 6 - female Hedgerow Hairstreak Satyrium saepium Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Coppery-brown above. Gray-brown below (darker when very fresh) with broken median line, and vague submarginal band of black chevrons on HW. Relatively short tails, with blue frosted patch just below. Similar species: Somewhat similar to Mtn Mahogany HS, which is more gray or gray-frosted over brown below. Gold-Hunter's HS has a less clear and less defined median line on HW below, and has a very restricted range. Host plant: Ceanothus species, including C. cuneatus (Buckbrush), C. velutinus (Snowbrush) and C. integerrimus (Deerbrush) . Habitat: Shrubby hillsides and canyons, oak scrub, chaparral where host plants grow. Range: NE Oregon, SW Oregon, Cascade Range. Season: Mid-May to late September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Two-tailed Swallowtail butterfly. Mack's Canyon Boat Launch, Sherman Co, April 30 Gallery Prev Next Two-tailed Swallowtail Papilio multicaudata Size: Over 5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Very large. Upperside mostly yellow with wide bands of yellow on forewing separated by black lines, extra tails, blue chevrons on black band near hindwing margin. Below, very similar to above, with red-orange shading in yellow marginal spots near the tail. Similar species: Western Tiger Swallowtail is smaller and has broader black bands on forewing and single tails. Host plant: Primarily western choke cherry (Prunus virginiana var. demissa). Habitat: Riparian and road corridors, canyons and urban parks and gardens. Range: Throughout eastern and southwestern Oregon. Season: Late March - mid-September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Here you will find some history and background on the author of Butterflies of Oregon. A Bit More History Continued from "About" page... I had long paid attention to butterflies, ever since my childhood days of collecting butterflies with my Dad. When I was about 10 years old, Dad drove our family up the Steens Mountain Loop Road, and we stopped near the summit, at over 9,000 feet elevation. In the windswept, grassy meadows near the summit, there were hundreds of Milbert's Tortoiseshells flying up in the wind. I was captivated! That year, Dad bought me a butterfly net, a Golden Guide field identification guide, a killing jar, a pinning board, and a display case. The next summer, we spent several weekends driving and walking Forest Service Roads near Portland looking for butterflies with our nets in hand. Decades later, in 2001, my friend Eric Wold told me of his childhood love of butterflies, and we decided to go on a hike to Iron Mountain in Linn County to find some butterflies. On that hike I unsuccessfully attempted to photograph a bright green Sheridan's Hairstreak, and I got hooked! That first failure started me on a long and joyful journey of photographing butterflies. It was about 2014 when I realized that I had photographed around 100 species of native butterflies in Oregon. I thought to myself "I might actually be able to photograph all of them," meaning all of Oregon's regularly occurring 168 species (the exact number depends on whose taxonomic approach you follow, and how many species have been recently split or lumped). I decided that year to go to work on those remaining 68 or so species, just for fun, and to see what kind of progress I could make. In 2014 - 2017, I had a great time tromping around the wild spots in Oregon, and added several more species. In 2017, I posted a couple of butterfly photos to Facebook, and admitted to the world that I was going to try for all of Oregon's regularly breeding species. Seeing that post, my friend Lindsay Selzer inquired about where she could see all the ones I had already photographed. I sheepishly wrote her that I had never bothered to compile the collection and I actually wasn't even sure how many I had. Her question inspired me to find out the answer, which led me down the path toward creating this website to share these photos. Through that effort I realized that, of Oregon's regularly occurring and breeding species, at that time I only had about 15 more to photograph! I hadn't realized I was so close! Knowing I was so close lit a fire under me, and I began to get organized. See my blog for accounts of my most recent escapades, adventures and discoveries. Thanks for reading, and for your interest in the Butterflies of Oregon! Neil Bjorklund Eugene, Oregon

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Tailed Copper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Crane Cr, Lake Co, July 4 - male Tailed Copper Tharsalea arota AKA Lycaena arota Size: 0.75- 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Male coppery brown above. Female FW above has broad dark brown marginal bands, dark patches around coppery-orange spots, and HW with similar pattern with scalloped orange band along trailing edge. Small white-tipped tails on HW, longer on females. Below HW is boldly marked with spots, chevrons, a submarginal white band and black spots circled with white, against gray-brown background (bolder in females). Similar species: No other coppers have tails. No hairstreaks in our area are similar. Host plant: Currants and gooseberries. Habitat: Moist meadows, canyons, mountain canyons. Range: Siskiyou Mtns, Central and Southern Cascade Mtns, Klamath Mtns, Warner Mtns, central Willamette Valley. Season: Mid-June to late September Abundance: Locally common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Mormon Fritillary butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Summit Meadows, Lane Co, August 13 Mormon Fritillary Argynnis mormonia AKA Speyeria mormonia Size: Up to 2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Small for a greater fritillary. Male bright orange above with fine black veins, black irregular markings inwardly, submarginal black spot band and black arrows that point inward. Female darker orange above with all black markings bolder. Below ground color of "disc" on HW light orange-tan with large oblong silvery-white spots with brown to dark maroon shadows. Similar species: Hesperis is larger and has reddish brown disc below. Hydaspe is larger and has dark red to maroon disc below. Hostplant: Violet (Viola ) species . Habitat: Openings, riparian areas and meadows in coniferous forests above 3,500 feet. Range: Found on east slope of Cascades, and in Warner Mtns, Steens Mtn, Ochocos, Wallowa Mtns and Blue Mtns. Season: Early June to mid-October. Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Cabbage White butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Lost Lake, Linn Co, August 21 Cabbage White Pieris rapae Size: 1.25 - 1.75 inches wingspan Key ID features: Males white with one black spot and black apex on FW. Female white with two black spots and black FW apex. Yellowish below. Similar species: Mustard White lacks black spots on FW. Host plant: Many species of mustards, including food plants in the cabbage family. Habitat: Found in most habitat types. Range: Introduced from Europe. Found throughout Oregon. Season: Early March to early November Abundance: Abundant Conservation Status: Secure