Butterflies of Oregon

Most identification guides can only show a couple small photos of each species. It is helpful to have additional views, especially where there are differences between the sexes or regional subspecies. Listed below are selected common butterfly species found in Oregon. Click on a highlighted species name to see various photos of that butterfly. The list will grow as photos of other species become available.

I generally follow Pyle's Butterflies of Cascadia for the English and scientific names as this is the primary guidebook for Oregon. I try to cross-reference with the standardized names used by NABA or other authors where they differ (see references). Unfortunately there is considerable disagreement on a number of species.

Photos by Dennis Deck unless otherwise specified.

Swallowtails (Family Papilionidae)

Swallowtails (Subfamily Papilioninae)

Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon)
Oregon Swallowtail (Papilio oregonius)
Indra Swallowtail (Papilio indra)
Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata)
Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon)

Parnassians (Subfamily Parnassiinae)

Clodius Parnassian (Parnassius clodius)
Mountain Parnassian (Parnassius smintheus)

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Whites and Sulphurs (Family Pieridae)

Sulphurs (Subfamily Coliadinae)

Whites (Subfamily Pierinae)

Pine White (Neophasia menapia)
Becker's White (Pontia beckerii)
Spring White (Pontia sisymbrii)
Western White (Pontia occidentalis)
Margined White (Pieris marginalis)
Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)
Large Marble (Euchloe ausonides)
California Marble (Euchloe hyantis)
Gray Marble (Anthocharis lanceolata)
Sara Orangetip (Anthocharis sara)

Sulphurs (Subfamily Coliadinae)

Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice)
Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
Western Sulphur (Colias occidentalis)
Queen Alexandra's Sulphur (Colias alexandra)
Pink-edged Sulphur (Colias interior)

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Gossamer-wing Butterflies (Family Lycaenidae)

Coppers (Subfamily Lycaeninae)

Tailed Copper (Lycaena arota)
Lustrous Copper (Lycaena cupreus)
Great Copper (Lycaena xanthoides)
Edith's Copper (Lycaena editha)
Gorgon Copper (Lycaena gorgon)
Ruddy Copper (Lycaena rubidus)
Blue Copper (Lycaena heteronea)
Purplish Copper (Lycaena helloides)
Lilac-bordered Copper (Lycaena nivalis)
Mariposa Copper (Lycaena mariposa)

Hairstreaks (Subfamily Theclinae)

Golden Hairstreak (Habrodais grunus)
Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus)
Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus)
Behr's Hairstreak (Satyrium behrii)
Sooty Hairstreak (Satyrium fuliginosum)
California Hairstreak (Satyrium californicum)
Sylvan Hairstreak (Satyrium sylvinum)
Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak (Satyrium tetra)
Hedgerow Hairstreak (Satyrium saepium)
Sheridan's Green Hairstreak (Mitoura sheridani)
Thicket Hairstreak (Mitoura spinetorum)
Johnson's Hairstreak (Mitoura johnsoni)
Cedar (Juniper) Hairstreak (Mitoura gyrnea)
Nelson's Hairstreak (Mitoura nelsoni)
Brown Elfin (Incisalia augustinus)
Moss' Elfin (Incisalia mossii)
Western Pine Elfin (Incisalia eryphon)
Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)

Blues (Subfamily Polyommatinae)

Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exile)
Eastern Tailed-Blue (Everes comyntas)
Western Tailed-Blue (Everes amyntula)
Echo Blue (Spring Azure) (Celastrina echo)
Square-spotted Blue (Euphilotes battoides)
Pacific Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes enoptes)
Columbia Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes columbiae)
Arrowhead Blue (Glaucopsyche piasus)
Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus)
Anna's Blue (Lycaeides anna)
Northern Blue (Lycaeides idas)
Melissa's Blue (Lycaeides melissa)
Greenish Blue (Plebeius saepiolus)
Boisduval's Blue (Plebeius icarioides)
Acmon Blue (Plebeius acmon)
Lupine Blue (Plebeius lupini)
Sierra Nevada Blue (Agriades podarce)
Arctic Blue (Agriades glandon)

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Metalmarks (Family Riodinidae)

Mormon Metalmark (Apodemia mormo)

Brush-footed Butterflies (Family Nymphalidae)

Heliconians and Fritillaries (Subfamily Heliconiinae)

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Coronis Fritillary (Speyeria coronis)
Zerene Fritillary (Speyeria zerene)
Callippe Fritillary (Speyeria callippe)
Atlantis Fritillary (Speyeria atlantis)
Hydaspe Fritillary (Speyeria hydaspe)
Mormon Fritillary (Speyeria mormonia)
Western Meadow Fritillary (Boloria epithore)
Arctic Fritillary (Boloria chariclea)

See also a visual guide to Oregon & Washington Fritillary subspecies.

True Brush-foots (Subfamily Nymphalinae)

Northern Checkerspot (Chlosyne palla)
Sagebrush Checkerspot (Chlosyne acastus)
Hoffmann's Checkerspot (Chlosyne hoffmanni)
Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta)
Field Crescent (Phyciodes pratensis)
Pale Crescent (Phyciodes pallida)
Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta)
Chalcedona Checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona)
Edith's Checkerspot (Euphydryas editha)
Satyr Comma (Polygonia satyrus)
Green Comma (Polygonia faunus)
Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis)
California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
Milbert's Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis milberti)
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella)
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)

Admirals and Relatives (Subfamily Limenitidinae)

Lorquin's Admiral (Limenitis lorquini)
California Sister (Adelpha bredowii)

Satyrs (Subfamily Satyrinae)

Ochre (Common) Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia)
Common Wood Nymph (Cercyonis pegala)
Great Basin Wood Nymph (Cercyonis sthenele)
Small Wood Nymph (Cercyonis oetus)
Great Arctic (Oeneis nevadensis)

Monarchs (Subfamily Danainae)

Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
Queen (Danaus gilippus)

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Skippers (Family Hesperiidae)

Spread-wing Skippers (Subfamily Pyrginae)

Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)
Propertius Duskywing (Erynnis propertius)
Persius Duskywing (Erynnis persius)
Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)

Grass Skippers (Subfamily Hesperiinae)

Arctic Skipper (Carterocephalus palaemon)
Juba Skipper (Hesperia juba)
Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado)
Mardon Skipper (Polites mardon)
Sonoran Skipper (Polites sonora)
Sachem (Atalopedes campestris)
Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides)
Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris)
Common Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis)

Common Day Flying Moths and Caterpillars

Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobeae)
Bluebell Tiger (Gnophaela sp.)
Issabela Moth/Wooly Bear (Pyrrharctica isabella)
Forest Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria)
Red-shouldered Ctenucha (Ctenucha rubroscapus)
Riding's Forester (Alypia ridingsi)
Sphynx moth (Smerinthus sp.)

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