U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Butterflies of Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge How to Use This Checklist ___Southern Cloudywing This leaflet list 67 species of butterflies Thorybes bathyllus that have been seen on the refuge. So ___Northern Cloudywing grab your book, binoculars and a pencil Thorybes pylades so that as you spot butterflies during your ___Confused Cloudywing tour of the refuge you can check them off Thorybes confusis on this list. If you should find an unlisted ___Horace’s Duskywing or “rare” species please let us know at Erynnis horatius Refuge Headquarters. We will appreciate ___Funereal Duskywing your help in updating our records. Erynnis funeralis ___Wild Indigo Duskywing This checklist is arranged according Erynnis baptisiae to Jonathan Pelham’s Catalogue of the ___Common Checkered-Skipper Funereal Duskywing Butterflies of the United States and Pyrgus communis Photograph © by Bill Adams Canada. Data for this checklist were Grass Skippers compiled by Walter Gerard, co-author ___Pipevine Swallowtail Subfamily: Hesperiinae (with John Dole and John Nelson) of Battus philenor ___Least Skipper Butterflies of Oklahoma, Kansas, and ___Black Swallowtail Ancyloxypha numitor North Texas. Papilio polyxenes ___Swarthy Skipper ___Giant Swallowtail Nastra lherminier Additional data was compiled by John Papilio cresphontes ___Eufala Skipper Fisher and Dr. John M. Nelson. ___Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Lerodea eufala Papilio glaucus ___Clouded Skipper Please note that insect abundance can be ___Spicebush Swallowtail Lerema accius highly variable especially in regions such Papilio troilus ___Fiery Skipper as Oklahoma where prolonged droughts Hylephila phyleus Whites and Sulphurs are often followed by widespread heavy ___Tawny-edged Skipper Family: Pieridae rains. In general, butterflies tend to be Polites themistocles As their common name suggests, whites more abundant in the late summer and fall. ___Crossline Skipper and sulphurs show shades of white, Polites origenes yellow, or yellowish-green. Most have Skippers ___Southern Broken-Dash subtle reddish or white markings on their Family: Hesperiidae Wallengrenia otho underside. They can be large to small Skippers are small butterflies with stout ___Sachem but most are mid-sized. The caterpillars bodies. They resemble day-flying moths, Atalopedes campestris tend to be green and cylindrical. Host but unlike moths, they have “club-shaped” ___Zabulon Skipper plants are mostly Brassicaceae (mustard antennae. Common wing colors include Poanes zabulon family) for whites and Fabaceae (bean orange, brown, black, and white. A few ___Delaware Skipper family) for sulphurs. Adults are often have patches of iridescence. Flight is Anatrytone logan seen extracting salts and minerals from often rapid, perching posture is unique ___Dun Skipper the damp earth. If the soil is dry, they and the hindwings are opened at a wider Euphyes vestris will inject liquid to dissolve the minerals angle than the forewings. Spread-winged so they can suck them up using their Skipper caterpillars feed on broad- Swallowtails proboscis. This activity is refered to as leafed plants. Grass Skippers feed on Family: Papilionidae “mud puddling.” grasses and their allies. Both sub-families Largest of our butterflies, swallowtails of caterpillars feed within rolled leaf are recognized by the “tails” on their Sulphurs shelters, which reduces their vulnerability hind wings. The background color is Subfamily: Coliadinae to predators. Loss of native grasses due to black with yellow and/or blue markings. ___Dainty Sulphur changes in land usage is causing a decline Adults visit flowers for nectar and hover Nathalis iole in population of this group of butterflies. above the flower instead of resting all ___Sleepy Orange their weight on it. Males of most species Eurema nicippe Spread-wing Skippers patrol for mates, while others perch on ___Little Yellow Subfamily: Pyrginae hilltops. Most caterpillars have prominent Eurema lisa ___Silver Spotted Skipper “eyespots;” all have an osmeterium, a foul- ___Clouded Sulphur Epargyreus clarus smelling forked-organ thought to repel Colias philodice ___Hoary Edge predators. Many larvae feed on Rutaceae ___Orange Sulphur Achalarus lyciades (citrus family) or Apiaceae (carrot family). Colias eurytheme ___Southern Dogface ___Silvery Checkerspot Zerene cesonia Chlosyne nycteis ___Cloudless Sulphur ___Phaon Crescent Phoebis sennae Phyciodes phaon Whites ___Pearl Crescent Subfamily: Pierinae Phyciodes tharos ___Checkered White Leafwings Pontia protodice Subfamily: Charaxinae ___Goatweed Leafwing Gossamer-Wing Butterflies Anaea andria Family: Lycaenidae These are small to medium-sized Satyrs butterflies. The blue subfamily has blue Subfamily: Satyrinae on the upper wing surfaces. Most of ___Northern Pearly-eye the hairstreak subfamily has hair-like Enodia anthedon filaments coming off the hind wings. Monarchs are known to migrate ___Gemmed Satyr Gossamer-winged butterflies hold thousands of miles to central Mexico in Cyllopsis gemma the wings over the back when at rest. the winter and back to the United States ___Carolina Satyr during the summer months. Hermeuptychia sosybius Caterpillars are sluglike. Caterpillars of Photograph © by Bill Adams blues and hairstreaks possess honeydew ___Little Wood Satyr Megisto cymela glands, which provide food for ants. Some field guides split this family into The ants, in exchange, protect the ___Common Wood-nymph separate smaller families. Monarchs Cercyonis pegala caterpilllars from predators. deserve special recognition as the world’s Hairstreaks only insect to make a continent-wide Wildlife Watching Tips Subfamily: Theclinae migration, returning annually to their Dawn and dusk are the best times to ___Coral Hairstreak centralized overwintering location. see wildlife. Satyrium titus ___American Snout Little is moving on hot summer ___Banded Hairstreak Libytheana carinenta Satyrium calanus afternoons or on windy days. ___“Northern” Oak Hairstreak Milkweed Butterflies Satyrium favonius ontario Subfamily: Danainae Observe from the sidelines. ___Soapberry Hairstreak ___Monarch Phaeostrymon alcestis Danaus plexippus Try sitting quietly in one good location. Let wildlife get used to your presence. ___“Olive” Juniper Hairstreak Admirals and Relatives Callophrys gryneus gryneus Be aware of sounds. Often you will hear Subfamily: Limenitidinae more than you will see. ___Red-banded Hairstreak ___Red-spotted Purple Calycopis cecrops Limenitis arthemis astyanax Teach children quiet observation. Other ___Gray Hairstreak ___Viceroy Strymon melinus wildlife watchers will appreciate your Limenitis archippus consideration. Blues Heliconians and Fritillaries Subfamily: Polyommatinae Subfamily: Heliconiinae May 2009 ___Marine Blue ___Gulf Fritillary Leptotes marina Agraulis vanillae ___Eastern Tailed-Blue ___Variegated Fritillary Cupido comyntas Euptoieta claudia ___Summer Azure Celastrina ladon neglecta Emperors ___Reakirt’s Blue Subfamily: Apaturinae Hemiargus isola ___Hackberry Emperor Brush-footed Butterflies Asterocampa celtis Family: Nymphalidae True Brush-foots Brush-footed butterflies are the largest Subfamily: Nymphalinae and most diverse family. There are more ___American Lady species in this family than any other. Vanessa virginiensis Browns, oranges, yellows, and blacks are ___Painted Lady the most common colors. This family’s Vanessa cardui unifying characteristic, except for the ___Red Admiral snouts, is the reduced forelegs of both Vanessa atalanta the males and females. The host plants ___Mourning Cloak Common Buckeye include many families, ranging from Nymphalis antiopa Photograph © by Bill Adams trees, shrubs, and vines to annuals. ___Question Mark Caterpillars are usually spiny. Adults of Polygonia interrogationis some groups feed on nectar, while others ___Common Buckeye never visit flowers but instead feed on Junonia coenia sap, rotting fruit, carrion, or even dung.