© 2009 Nature in the City, First Edition First City, the in Nature 2009 © Sandhill Skipper Sandhill the Bay. the Nature in the City the in Nature of shoreline the southeast southeast the Crissy Field and and Field Crissy A Publication of Publication A be found at at found be can Skipper The Sandhill Sandhill The www.natureinthecity.org Sachem (rare) Sachem Skipper Woodland 415-564-4107 San Francisco, CA 94117 CA Francisco, San P.O. Box 170088 Box P.O. Nature in the City the in Nature protect and restore nature in the city. the in nature restore and protect inhabit. Contact the organizations below to help help to below organizations the Contact inhabit. native wildlife, plants and the natural areas they they areas natural the and plants wildlife, native endangered. We need your help to save our city’s city’s our save to help your need We endangered. ies’ habitats are seriously seriously are habitats ies’ fl butter our of some but Our city still harbors tremendous native biodiversity, biodiversity, native tremendous harbors still city Our Three less common (seasonal): common less Three San Francisco’s natural history. natural Francisco’s San highlighting brochure City the in Nature where they live. We hope you enjoy this very first first very this enjoy you hope We live. they where Skipper and habitats, by connecting urban people with nature nature with people urban connecting by habitats, and Fiery Skipper Fiery Checkered Common animals, plants, native its bioregion, Franciscan Nature in the City conserves and restores the the restores and conserves City the in Nature – Liam O’Brien Liam – undoubtedly want to learn more! more! learn to want undoubtedly about San Francisco’s butterflies you will will you butterflies Francisco’s San about garden or local park. Once you start learning learning start you Once park. local or garden the names of the butterflies you see in your your in see you butterflies the of names the You can start by using this guide to learn learn to guide this using by start can You Liam O’Brien Liam educate ourselves about this delicate fauna. fauna. delicate this about ourselves educate Umber Skipper Umber Iluustrations & Inventory by Inventory & Iluustrations that the first step in turning this tide is to to is tide this turning in step first the that During my first year of surveying I realized realized I surveying of year first my During rate. alarming an at diversity species of San Francisco San of butterfly record, I saw that we were losing losing were we that saw I record, butterfly Butterflies remained. Having looked at the city’s historic historic city’s the at looked Having remained. San Francisco to see which butterfly species species butterfly which see to Francisco San Three most common (year-round): common most Three the Skippers the butterfly habitat in the city and county of of county and city the in habitat butterfly In 2007 I set out to explore every possible possible every explore to out set I 2007 In Butterfly Index Great Places to abundance by month common name scientific name host plants J F M A M J J A S O N D THE SWALLOwtAILS – FAMILY PAPILIONIDAE See Butterflies Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon carrot family Western Tiger Papilio rutulus willows, sycamore R in San Francisco Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor dutchman’s pipevine THE WHITES – FAMILY PIERIDAE Cabbage White Pieris rapae mustard family Large Marble Euchloe ausonides mustard family Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme pea family 14 THE BLUES – FAMILY LYCAENIDAE Silvery Blue R Glaucopsyche lygdamus lupines Acmon Blue Piebejus acmon deerweed, lupines, vetches 12 Spring Azure or Echo Blue Celastrina ladon buckwheats, lotus Western Tailed Blue R Everes amyntula oaks, california buckeye, ceanothus 9 Eastern Tailed Blue Everes comyntas vetches Western Pygmy Blue R * Brephidium exile pea family Green Hairstreak R T Callophrys dumetorum pickleweed, california sea blite Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus coast buckwheat, deerweed Mission Blue E R T Pielcejus icariodes missionensis mallow and pea families 6 2 – THE BRusHFOOts FAMILY NYMPHALIDAE 11 Mourning Cloak * Nymphalis antiopa willows 13 California Tortoiseshell * Nymphalis californica ceanothus Satyr Anglewing * Polygonia satyrus mints and nettles Red Admiral * Vanessa atalanta nettles, pellitory 7 West Coast Painted Lady * Vanessa annabella mallow family American Painted Lady * Vanessa virginiensis pearly everlasting 5 Painted Lady * Vanessa cardui thistles, mallow family Variable Checkerspot R Euphydryas chalcedona sticky monkey flower, paintbrush 8 Field Crescent Phyciodes campestris aster complex Mylitta Crescent T Phyciodes mylitta thistles 10 1 Common Buckeye Junonia coenia plantains, bee plant 3 California Sister R Adelpha bredowii oaks 4 Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae passionvine Common Ringlet Coenonympha tullia grasses Monarch * Danaus plexippus milkweeds 1. Bayview Hill 8. Lake Merced THE SKIPPERS – FAMILY HEspERIIDAE Fiery Skipper Hylephilia phyleus grasses 2. Botanical Gardens 9. Lands End Umber Skipper Poanes melane bermuda grass 3. Brotherhood Way 10. McLaren Park Common Checkered Skipper Pyrgus communis mallow family Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides perennial grasses 4. Candlestick Point 11. Mt. Sutro Sandhill Skipper R Polites sabuleti saltgrass Sachem R Atalopedes campestris grasses, bermuda grass 5. Glen Canyon 12. Presidio 6. Golden Gate Park 13. Twin Peaks * Overwinter as adults Present in low numbers E Federally listed endangered species Common / Abundant R Locally rare species Not Present 7. Herons Head Park 14. Yerba Buena Island T Type Locality: The place on Earth where a species is first described by modern science. All species drawn to actual size. If not noted, sexes are the same. Mylitta Crescent underwing underwing Painted Lady Field Crescent the American Rarely California sighted, the Sister Painted Lady California Sister Brushfoots lives along Lobos Creek (family Nymphaliidae) in the Presidio. The Gulf Fritillary is well established in the Mission District near Monarchs overwinter Holly Park. in San Francisco. Two great places to observe Common Buckeye these butterflies are the community garden at Satyr Fort Mason and Rob Hill Anglewing in the Presidio. underwing Monarch West Coast Painted Lady Gulf Fritillary Variable Checkerspot the Red Admiral Satyrs summer (family Satyridae) form The Variable Checkerspot— the most common native butterfly in California—was once widespread throughout the city. It is now spring limited to a single population form behind Laguna Honda reservoir. California California Angel Tortoiseshell Mourning Cloak the Swallowtails the Whites the Blues (family Papilionidae) (family Pieridae) (family Lycaenidae) The Pygmy Blue is the smallest butterfly in North The Anise Swallowtail is a strong America and flies hilltopper—a mate-locating along the SE bay behavior in which males congregate shoreline. on exposed hilltops and search Large for females. Western underwing Marble Pygmy Blue Silvery Blue The best place to see this strong flyer is braving the powerful gusts of wind on Twin Peaks. Anise Swallowtail Based on butterfly surveys, Mission Blue 2 red dots Eastern Tailed Blue Cabbage Whites are the most common butterflies You can find the in San Francisco. The Pipevine federally endangered Swallowtail is Mission Blue at the Twin Peaks Natural generally only found Cabbage at Yerba Buena Island Area. White and Lake Merced due to the rarity of its host plant, the Dutchman’s underwing 1 red dot Western Tailed Blue Pipevine underwing the Echo Blue / Sulfurs Acmon underwing Spring Azure Pipevine Blue Swallowtail (family Pieridae) spring form fall form The Western Swallowtail is the largest butterfly in San Francisco. It uses willow riparian the Hairstreaks habitat and in San Francisco it (family Lycaenidae) has adapted to use the London Plane Tree. It can now be See the Green Green Hairstreak seen floating down Hairstreak at one of its Market Street. last remaining habitats in white form the Presidio or in the Outer Sunset on Hawk Hill. Orange Sulfur Western Tiger Swallowtail yellow form Gray Hairstreak underwing.