Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Hoary Comma butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Lost Lake, Linn Co, August 28 Hoary Comma Polygonia gracilis Size: Up to 2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above orange with black blotches and spots, often with very jagged wing edges, submarginal row of yellow chevrons and brown to black marginal band. HW above has yellow gilded look, with yellow patches within dark orange marginal band. Below dark gray with lighter gray striations, and prominent curved (not sharply pointed) white comma in center of HW. Similar species: Satyr Comma has brown shades below, and barbed white comma on HW. Green comma has green submarginal shading below. Oreas comma has pointed white "v" below. Host plant: Currant species (Ribes ), and Rhododendron albiflorum (white azalea) . Habitat: Forest openings, riparian areas, subalpine meadows, mostly above 3,000 feet. Range: Coast Range, Willamette Valley, Western Cascades, east slope of Cascades, Blue Mtns . Season: Early February to mid-October Abundance: Common 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 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 Sonoran Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Summit Meadows, LaneCo, August 13 Sonoran Skipper Polites sonora Size: Up to 1.25 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above orangish-brown, with darker reddish brown border, and vague light spot band on HW. Males with black stigmata with adjacent dark patches on FW, female FW with dark patch surrounded by yellowish spots. HW below brown with arc of pale yellow bars forming a curved band, and an elongated light spot near wing base . HW bars somewhat rounded with indistinct edges. Similar species: HW pattern below is somewhat similar to Mardon Skipper, which has shorter, broader wings and HW spots that are angular and more distinct. Host plant: Various grass species. Habitat: Flowery meadows and pastures, forest openings, roadsides, streambanks. Range: Cascade Range, Siskiyou Mtns, Klamath Mtns, Warner Mtns, Ochoco Mtns, Blue Mtns, Wallowa Mtns, Willamette Valley. Season: Late May to late August Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

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 Spring Azure butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Fitton Green, Linn County, March 26 Echo Azure Celastrina echo AKA Pacific Azure Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Male lilac-blue above, with no black markings. Female dusky-blue, with few marginal spots ringed with gray, FW with dark bands on outer edge. Below, bright gray-white, with very light marginal band of chevrons, and small black spots. Below, gray discal bars on both FW and HW. Similar species: Light markings below with no tails or orange spots distinctive and usually easy to distinguish from other blues. Host plant: Many shrub species including red osier dogwood, elderberry, madrone, snowbrush, and oceanspray . Habitat: Shrubby habitats and riparian areas. Range: Most of Oregon except dry basin and range areas on the east side of Cascade Mtns. Season: Late February to early October Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

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 Gray Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Picture Rock Pass, Lake County, August 5 Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Dark gray above (darker when very fresh). Orange patch and light blue lines bordering tails above. Light gray below with bold broken median black line edged in white, and vague submarginal band of black chevrons on HW. Two sets of tails, one short and one long, with two prominent adjacent orange patches below. Similar species: Female tailed-blues are smaller, with more rounded FW, and usually lack clear gray ground color below. Hostplant: A true generalist that uses a huge range of plants and plant families . Habitat: Virtually all open habitats. Range: All of Oregon. Season: Late March to mid-October Abundance: Very common Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Milbert's Tortoiseshell butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Sand Cr, Klamath Co, June 25 Milbert's Tortoiseshell Aglais milberti Size: Up to 2 inch wingspan Key ID features: Unmistakable. Above black with broad red and orange submarginal band across FW and HW, and HW with blue spots in black marginal band. Below two-toned with very dark inner half and brown striated outer half with darker margin. Similar species: Above, unlike any other Oregon species. Below, California Tortoiseshell less distinctly two-toned, outer band more variable and more gray than brown. Host plant: Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica ) . Habitat: Wherever nettles grow, often in wet areas or along waterways. Range: Throughout Oregon . Season: Potentially any time of year, but mostly January to October. Abundance: Common. 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 Sooty Hairstreak butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Mt. Ashland Rd, Jackson Co, July 9 Sooty Hairstreak Satyrium fuliginosa AKA Western Sooty Hairstreak Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan Key ID features: Both sexes dull gray-brown above and below. Below, dull gray-brown with pale median spot band. No tails. Similar species: Range does not overlap with closely related Half-Moon Hairstreak. Host plant: Lupines (Lupinus ) . Habitat: Rocky outcroppings, mountain slopes, ridges and peaks, often with sagebrush. Range: Along the border with California in Jackson and Josephine counties. Season: Mid-June to mid-August Abundance: Uncommon Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Callippe Fritillary butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Hat Point Rd, Wallowa Co, July 1, ssp. semivirida Callippe Fritillary Argynnis callippe AKA Speyeria callippe Size: Up to 2.5 inch wingspan Key ID features: Varies significantly among subspecies especially below. Light orange above with thin 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. Silver spots below show boldly through above. Below "disc" on HW ranges from light tan-brown to dark reddish brown, with large silvery-white oval spots usually with green or greenish brown caps. Similar species: Zerene Fritillary is larger, with silver spots not showing through above as boldly, lacks greenish caps to silver spots on disc below. Host plant: Violet (Viola ) species . Habitat: Montane canyons and roadsides, sage-steppe, pine-oak woodland openings, grasslands. Range: Throughout mountainous areas of eastern and southwestern Oregon, except in Columbia River basin. Season: Early May to early September. Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure