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

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 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 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 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 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 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 Great Arctic. Gallery Prev Frissell Ridge, Lane Co, July 18 Great Arctic Oeneis nevadensis Size: Up to 2.5 inch wingspan Key ID features: Above orangish tan with dark wing margins and black eyespots, one or more on FW, one or none on HW. Male has dark brown wash on inner half of FW. FW below similar to above, but with gray and black striations along FW leading margin and on wingtip. HW striated with white and brown, dark brown zigzag median lines, and darker band along margin. Similar species: None in Oregon. Host plant: Grasses, but no specific species identified in Oregon . Habitat: Grassy habitats including wet and dry meadows, roadsides, riparian zones. Range: Cascade Range, Siskiyou Mtns, Klamath Mtns, Warner Mtns, Coast Range in Curry County. Season: Late April to late September Abundance: Common in even numbered years in most of range. Conservation Status: Secure

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Dun Skipper butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Coburg Ridge, Lane Co, July 3 - male Dun Skipper Euphyes vestris Size: Up to 1.4 inch wingspan Key ID features: Medium gray-brown above and below, can have orange iridescence when fresh. Male with dark brown stigmata on FW, female with vague small white spots on both wings, above and below. Similar species: No other Oregon skipper is this shade of brown and relatively unmarked. Host plant: Sedges ( Carex ). Habitat: Moist areas including roadsides, meadows, riparian areas, seeps. Range: West of the Cascade Range crest. Season: Late May to early September Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

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

Photos, flight season, distribution and host plant information, conservation status, and identification tips for the Desert Marble butterfly. Gallery Prev Next Smith Rocks State Pk, Jefferson Co, May 2 Desert Marble Euchloe lotta Size: 1.25 - 1.5 inches wingspan Key ID features: Above, pearly-white with black pattern on FW tip and thin black rectangle in forewing cell with no white scaling. VHW green marbling is lighter, with yellow wash and yellow veins. Similar species: Large Marble is notably larger. California Marble VHW has pearly or shiny look to white areas, with darker green marbling, and is found only in and near Josephine County. Host plant: Tall tumblemustard, tansy mustard, rockcress and other crucifers. Habitat: Primarily arid bottomlands, including desert flats, sage-steppe, bitterbrush plateaus, Pinyon-Juniper forest, and dry gullies. Range: Most of eastern Oregon except Blue, Aldrich and Wallowa Mtns. Season: Late March to late June Abundance: Common Conservation Status: Secure

Butterflies of Oregon Blog Sign up for notices of new blog posts: Subscribe Thanks for submitting! All Posts Neil Björklund Nov 16, 2023 9 min The Lone Wanderer It was wicked-hot, dry, desolate, and extraordinarily beautiful in the desert near the Owyhee River in Malheur County, where I spent a... 237 views 2 comments 8 likes. Post not marked as liked 8 Neil Björklund Sep 22, 2023 7 min A Very Little Big Deal Last summer, I wrote about a visit I made to the pumice desert east of Crater Lake, to check up on our population of Leona's Little Blue,... 236 views 1 comment 3 likes. Post not marked as liked 3 Neil Björklund Aug 17, 2023 12 min The Great Butterfly Scrounge Maybe I could blame it on iNaturalist. Well, maybe a little on my friend John, too. Although John and I are probably about even, since I... 276 views 2 comments 4 likes. Post not marked as liked 4 Neil Björklund Apr 4, 2023 2 min The iNat Revolution Welcome to my first Blog post of the year! I can't wait to share some updates from this new butterfly season with you. In the meantime,... 235 views 1 comment Post not marked as liked Neil Björklund Sep 21, 2022 6 min Yes, We have Volcanos! I've been known to describe my avocation of chasing butterflies in Oregon as a game played on the huge game board of the state of... 175 views 1 comment 6 likes. Post not marked as liked 6 Neil Björklund Sep 15, 2022 7 min Wave the Checkered Flag! I first started looking for the enigmatic Checkered White (Pontia protodice) back in 2004, at Picture Rock Pass, in Lake County. It was,... 122 views 0 comments 3 likes. Post not marked as liked 3 Neil Björklund Sep 9, 2022 7 min Let's Go Dutch! Nope, I'm not talking about coffee--I'm talking about the peak in southern Oregon. You know, Dutchman Peak, in the Siskiyous. It was... 137 views 2 comments 5 likes. Post not marked as liked 5 Neil Björklund Aug 28, 2022 5 min Loving Leona Leona's Blue (Philotiella leona) is Oregon's only known endemic butterfly. It has been found only in the pumice flats created by the... 234 views 0 comments 5 likes. Post not marked as liked 5 Neil Björklund Aug 18, 2022 8 min The Bigfoot of Butterflies We humans tend to love stories about mysterious critters that may or may not exist or persist out in the wild places. The Northwest's... 235 views 0 comments 5 likes. Post not marked as liked 5 Neil Björklund Aug 12, 2022 7 min A Double Scoop of Rocky Road Back in May I visited a few of the sites where Andy Warren had studied azure blues back in the early 2000's. At several sites, mostly in... 114 views 0 comments 5 likes. Post not marked as liked 5 Neil Björklund Aug 3, 2022 8 min The Art of Waiting The Nevada Skipper flies very fast and low in treeless habitats on windswept ridges. When the wind is gusting they can just disappear... 167 views 0 comments 3 likes. Post not marked as liked 3 Neil Björklund Jun 7, 2022 11 min A Boy and His Butterfly Earlier this spring, I learned in an unexpected way about an obscure disease called 4H Leukodystrophy. It is an inherited genetic... 405 views 4 comments 6 likes. Post not marked as liked 6 Neil Björklund Apr 29, 2022 9 min Searching for Spring This year, just when we seemed to be heading for the most severe drought in Oregon history, winter seemed to wake up and say "oh, wait... 170 views 0 comments 6 likes. Post not marked as liked 6 Neil Björklund Aug 15, 2021 5 min Silverspotting The Oregon Silverspot (Argynnis zerene hippolyta) is a subspecies of the Zerene Fritillary (Argynnis zerene), found along the Oregon... 353 views 0 comments 6 likes. Post not marked as liked 6 Neil Björklund Aug 8, 2021 12 min Puttin' on the Frits Here in Oregon, as summer pushes on into July and early August, we get into smoke season, but we also get into the season of nymphalids... 226 views 0 comments 5 likes. Post not marked as liked 5 Neil Björklund Jul 14, 2021 10 min The Mysterious Case of the Vanishing Checkerspot I was packing for a trip to the southern Blue Mountains to (hopefully) photograph Garita Skipperlings for the first time, when I got the... 252 views 2 comments 3 likes. Post not marked as liked 3 Neil Björklund Jul 10, 2021 9 min The Tao of Skipperlings The Taoist Masters of old speak of the principle of Wu wei, or non-doing, as being central to their way of understanding how the world is... 159 views 0 comments 3 likes. Post not marked as liked 3 Neil Björklund Jun 27, 2021 13 min Heat Zombie and the Bakeoven Butterflies As a second generation native Oregonian, I have always felt some kind of civic duty to photograph the Oregon Swallowtail, our state insect.. 320 views 0 comments 1 like. Post not marked as liked 1 Neil Björklund Jun 6, 2021 6 min Hunting for the Gold Isn't it curious how sometimes when we are looking for one thing, we often find something else that is equally satisfying? 193 views 2 comments 4 likes. Post not marked as liked 4 Neil Björklund May 3, 2021 5 min Chasing Our Swallowtail My 2021 field season started quite a bit later than I'd planned, and sadly I had to skip a trip to the Illinois River in April in search... 211 views 3 comments 5 likes. Post not marked as liked 5