Butterfly Anatomy A Region Specific Guide to Butterflies of Dorsum (Upperside) (DW) South Puget Sound, Washington Club Rod Gilbert and Ann Potter Antenna Thorax Dorsal Fore Wing (DFW) Abdomen Dorsal Hind Wing (DHW) Ventrum (Underside) (VW) Ventral Fore Wing (VFW) Eye Proboscis Ventral Hind Wing (VHW) Text by Ann Potter and Rod Gilbert. All photos by Rod Gilbert unless otherwise stated. This item may not be reproduced, except for personal use, or sold without the author’s written permission. Flight periods are specific to SPS. March 2014. Report rare or species of conservation concern to: [email protected] Silver-spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarus Habitat: Open flowery plac- es, riparian, parks, gardens Flight period: May - July Larval host: Legumes Notes: Large turtle shaped white marking on VHW and orange patches on DFW. Remarkable looking butter- fly. Uncommon in WA. Randy Emmitt Dreamy Duskywing Erynnis icelus Habitat: Woodland edges and openings Flight period: May - June Larval host: Willows, pop- lars, locusts Randy Emmitt Notes: < 1.5” Uncommon locally. A few known oc- currences in Mason Co. No hyaline spots on DFW. Re- port sightings. Propertius Duskywing Erynnis propertius Habitat: Oak woodlands and adjacent grasslands, forest openings Flight period: L Apr - E June Larval host: Garry oak obligate Notes: Largest Duskywing skipper in our region. < 1.75” Rare. Species of conservation concern in W WA. Difficult to ID. Re- port any sighting. Extant at Bald Hills. Persius Duskywing Erynnis persius Habitat: Meadows, glades, mountains Flight period: May - June Larval host: Legumes Notes: < 1.5” Mostly mon- Ron Wolf tane. Difficult to ID. Re- port sightings. Two-banded Checkered Skipper Notes Pyrgus ruralis Book resources for detailed descriptions and more information on Pacific Habitat: Meadows, prai- Northwest butterflies: ries, glades, road edges The Butterflies of Cascadia (Pyle) Life Histories of Cascadia Butterflies (James and Nunallee) Flight period: L Apr - May An Atlas of Washington Butterflies (Hinchliff) Larval host: Cinquefoil, Web: http://butterfliesofamerica.com strawberry Notes: Moth-like and small. D&V wings and margins checkered with white squares. Arctic Skipper Carterocephalus palaemon Habitat: Wet meadows, streambanks, forest open- ings Flight period: May - E June Larval host: Wet habitat Tom Murray grasses Notes: Can’t be confused with any other Skipper. DW have bright orange cells and VHW has out- lined creamy orbs. Caitlin LaBar Common Wood Nymph Juba Skipper Cercyonis pegala incana Hesperia juba Habitat: Grasslands, mead- Habitat: Prairies, grass- ows, roadsides, forest glades lands Flight period: July - E Sept Flight period: May and L July - E Sept Larval host: Grasses Larval host: Grasses Notes: Common, large, > 2” Dark brown to often almost Notes: Largish skipper, black. Prominent concentric > 1.5” Pale apical spots circle eye spots on DFW and and dorsal pattern of black VFW. Weak flight pattern. margins pointing inward. Head and upper abdomen often greenish pubescent. Difficult to identify (see Oregon Branded Skipper) Uncommon in SPS. Monarch Oregon Branded Skipper Danaus plexippus Hesperia colorado oregonia Habitat: Any locally Habitat: Prairies, grasslands Flight period: May - Sept Flight period: L July - E Sept Larval host: Milkweeds Larval host: Grasses and Notes: Rare transitory sedges. World Wildlife Fund migrant. Host does not occur in SPS. Occasionally Notes: < 1.25” ♀’s greenish, released by humans. ♂’s tawny orange. Clear cream rectangular cells with leading edges, distinct mark- ings on VHW. Rare, species of conservation concern. Report sightings. Mardon Skipper Lorquin’s Admiral Polites mardon mardon Limenitis lorquini Habitat: Prairies, native Habitat: Most habitats ex- grasslands, meadows cept forest interior, wide- ranged Flight period: E May - M June Flight period: June - Aug Larval host: Roemer’s Larval host: Willows, as- fescue and CA oatgrass pen, cottonwood, hard- hack, ocean spray, apple Notes: < 1” Small tawny skipper. Strongly rectan- Notes: White band of gular cells in VHW discal rounded rectangular cells band. Difficult to ID across V and D wings. (compare to Sonora Skip- Watch for look-alike Cali- per). Rare. Species of con- fornia Sister, which is an- servation concern, report ticipated but not yet rec- sightings. orded for SPS. Ochre Ringlet Kim and Mike Strangeland Sonora Skipper Coenonympha tullia euno- Polites sonora siris mia Habitat: Meadows, prai- Habitat: Grasslands, road- ries, pastures, roadsides, sides, pastures stream banks Flight period: L Apr-E Flight period: E June - M June, M July - E Sept. July Multiple generations per year Larval host: Grasses Kim and Mike Strangeland Larval host: Grasses Notes: Small, rectangular cells in symmetrical semi- Notes: Creamy-orange circular pattern enclosing FW, light to dark tan HW, basal spot on VHW. Diffi- with irregular white bands. cult to ID (compare to Weak flight pattern. Mardon Skipper). Species of conservation concern, report sightings. Painted Lady Woodland Skipper Vanessa cardui Ochlodes sylvanoides Habitat: All habitats Habitat: Open, grassy are- as, including urban areas Flight period: Anytime. Most likely Apr - June and Flight period: L July - M Aug - Oct Sept Larval host: Thistles fa- Larval host: Grasses vored, but a wide diversity of hosts may be used Notes: Widespread, com- mon. Often the only skip- Notes: Widespread, com- per flying locally during mon. White mark on DFW the late summer leading edge (orange in other ladies). Populations erupt in north-flowing emigration events, does not occur in WA every year. Sometimes re- Red Admiral Jeffrey Pippen Dun Skipper Vanessa atalanta Euphyes vestris Habitat: Most habitats ex- Habitat: Woodland edge, cept forest, wide-ranged grasslands, watercourses, wetlands, prairie Flight period: May - Aug Flight period: May - June Larval host: Nettles Larval host: Carex spp. Notes: Common. Wide or- ange margins on bottom of Jeffrey Pippen Notes: Chocolate brown col- DHW, orange band on or. Fresh individuals often DFW. Mottled, bark-like with a purple iridescence. VHW. Wings are often immaculate (esp. males), though many indi- viduals (esp. females) have small, white marks on the DFW or VHW. Kim and Mike Strangeland Clodius Parnassian Jeffrey Pippen American Lady Parnassius clodius Vanessa virginiensis Habitat: Open woodlands, Habitat: Fields, parks, gar- roadsides, clearings dens Flight period: M May - July Flight period: Anytime, most likely Aug - Oct Larval host: Bleeding heart Kim and Mike Strangeland Larval host: Pearly ever- Notes: < 3” Only Parnassian lasting, pussytoes in SPS. Outer FWs are waxy and translucent. Ap- Notes: Rare. Not docu- pears to be large, dirty-white mented in Pierce or butterfly until closer inspec- Thurston Co. Sometimes tion. released by humans. Or- nate and complex pat- terned VHW with two prominent eye spots. Dennis Deck Jeffrey Pippen Anise Swallowtail West Coast Lady Papilio zelicaon Vanessa annabella Habitat: Every habitat ex- Habitat: Meadows, marsh- cept deep woods es, gardens Flight period: L Apr - July Flight period: June - Oct Multiple generations per year Larval host: Mallows, net- tles Larval host: Carrot family Erik Runquist Notes: Row of prominent Notes: Common. Broad blue spots with black black border along leading bands around on the edge of DFW. DHW. Populations erupts in north-flowing emigra- tion events, does not occur in WA every year. Mourning Cloak Western Tiger Swallow- Nymphalis antiopa tail Papilio rutulus Habitat: Riparian, glades, wet meadows, roadsides Habitat: Most habitats Flight period: M Feb - E Flight period: May - July June, July - Sept. Adults overwinter Larval host: Broadleaf trees, incl. big leaf maple, Larval host: Willows, al- willows, aspen, cotton- ders, maples, poplars, ros- wood, cherries es, hardhack Notes: Common. Yellow, Notes: > 3” Widespread, with broad black border distinct. One of the earli- on trailing edge of wings. est butterflies to fly. DFW has broad, black Brown with cream leading stripes. (see Pale Tiger edge on D and V wings. Swallowtail). Milbert’s Tortoiseshell Pale Tiger Swallowtail Nymphalis milberti Papilio eurymedon Habitat: Riparian, glades, Habitat: Open woodlands, wet meadows, roadsides shrubby open areas Flight period: Mar - May, Flight period: May - July July - Sept. Adults over- winter Larval host: Red alder, cascara, ocean spray, ser- Larval host: Stinging nettle viceberry & bittercherry Notes: Large contiguous Notes: Common. Light orange band along DWs. cream to chalk white with broad black border on trailing edge of wings (see Western Tiger Swallow- tail). Pine White Bugguide.net Oreas Anglewing Neophasia menapia Polygonia oreas Habitat: Coniferous for- Habitat: Forest edge, ests, urban neighborhoods streams, clearings, meadows Flight period: L July - Sept Flight period: Mar - June, and July - Sept. Adults over- Larval host: Conifers winter Larval host: Currants (Ribes Notes: Extensive black Ron Wolf markings on leading edge spp) of FW. Often in forest canopy. Weak, floppy Notes: Very rare in SPS. flight pattern. Very dark VW with 90° ‘V’ shaped comma marking. Margined White California Tortoiseshell Pieris marginalis Nymphalis californica Habitat: Forest edge, road- Habitat: Montane meadows, sides, glades shrublands Flight period: May - June, Flight period: Mar - May and and Aug. Two generations Aug - Sept. Adults overwinter per year Larval host: Ceanothus spp Larval host: Mustards Notes: Uncommon below Notes: < 2” Sometimes yel- 1000’. Color pattern resem- lowish