Watch for These Butterflies in El Dorado County...
This is a modified list based on the one from Butterflies and Moths of North America, but minus several species that were not mapped for this area in Butterflies through Binoculars: West, certainly my favorite guide to what's out there.
Parnassians and Swallowtails (Papilionidae)
Parnassians (Parnassiinae)
- Clodius Parnassian (Parnassius clodius) ; food: bleeding-heart
- Behr's Parnassian (Parnassius phoebus behrii) ;
Swallowtails (Papilioninae)
- Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) ; food: pipevines
- Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) food: parsley family
- Indra Swallowtail (Papilio indra) ; food: mainly lomatiums, other parsley family also
- Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) ; food: willows, aspens, other trees too
- Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon) ; food: Rhamnus, Ceanothus, also other rose family
- Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata) ; food: Cherry, ashe, etc.
Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
Whites (Pierinae)
- Checkered White (Pontia protodice) ; food: crucifers
- Spring White (Pontia sisymbrii) ; food: rock cress, other crucifers
- Becker's White (Pontia beckerii) ; food: crucifers
- Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) ; food: crucifers
- Margined White (Pieris marginalis)
- Pine White (Neophasia menapia) ; food: Ponderosa and other pines
- Large Marble (Euchloe ausonides) ; food: rock cress, other crucifers
- Pearly Marble (Euchloe hyantis) ; crucifers
- Gray Marble (Anthocharis lanceolata) ; food: rock cress, other crucifers
- Pacific (also Sara) Orangetip (Anthocharis sara) ; food: crucifers
- Stella Orangetip (Anthocharis stella) ;
Sulphurs (Coliadinae)
- Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) ; food: fabaceae
- Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice) ; food: clovers and other legumes
Gossamer-wing Butterflies (Lycaenidae)
Coppers (Lycaeninae)
- Edith's Copper (Lycaena editha) ; food: docks and horkelias
- Great Copper (Lycaena xanthoides) ; food: docks
- Lustrous Copper (Lycaena cupreus) ;food: docks and sorrels
- Tailed Copper (Lycaena arota) ; food: ribes
- Gorgon Copper (Lycaena gorgon) ; food: eriogonum nudum
- Ruddy Copper (Lycaena rubidus) ; food: docks
- Blue Copper (Lycaena heteronea) ; food: eriogonum
- Purplish Copper (Lycaena helloides) ; food: docks, knotweed
- Lilac-bordered Copper (Lycaena nivalis) ; food: knotweeds
- Mariposa Copper (Lycaena mariposa) ; food: vaccinium
Hairstreaks (Theclinae)
- Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus) ; food: mistletoe on cottonwood
- Golden Hairstreak (Habrodais grunus) ; food: canyon oak [flies around twilight, look for perching on host plant]
- Behr's Hairstreak (Satyrium behrii) ; food: bitterbrush and Purshia
- Sooty Hairstreak (Satyrium fuliginosum) ; food: lupines
- California Hairstreak (Satyrium californica) ; food: oaks and mountain mahogany
- Sylvan Hairstreak (Satyrium sylvinus) ;food: willows
- Hedgerow (Sepia) Hairstreak (Satyrium saepium) ; food: ceanothus
- Gold-hunter's Hairstreak (Satyrium auretorum) ;food: oaks
- Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak (Satyrium tetra) ; food: mountain mahogany
- Bramble Hairstreak (Calloprys dumetorum) ; food: buckwheats, Ceanothus, deerweed
- Sheridan's Green Hairstreak (Callophrys sheridani) ; food: buckwheats
- Nelson's Hairstreak (Callophrys nelsoni) ; food: incense cedar, possibly juniper?
- Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus) ;
- Thicket Hairstreak (Callophrys spinetorum) ; food: mistletoe on conifers
- Johnson's Hairstreak (Callophrys johnsoni) ; food: mistletoe on conifers
- Brown Elfin (Incasalia augustinus) *some sources use Callophrys eryphon!; food: many families
- Moss' Elfin (Callophrys mossii) ; food: stonecrops
- Western Pine Elfin (Incisalia eryphon) *some sources use Callophrys eryphon! ; food: pines
- Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
Blues (Polyommatinae)
- Gray Blue (Agriades podarce) ; food: variety, but especiaaly primrose
- Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exile) ; food: Chenopodiaceae
- • Anna's Northern Blue (Lycaeides idas anna) ; food: mainly lupine, but also lotus, vetch
- Marine Blue (Leptotes marina) ; food: legumes
- Western Tailed-Blue (Everes amyntula)
- Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon echo)
- Sonoran Blue (Philotes sonorensis)
- Square-Spotted Blue (Euphilotes battoides)
- Arrowhead Blue (Glaucopsyche piasus)
- Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus)
- Boisduval's Blue (Plebejus icarioides)
- Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes enoptes)
- Greenish Blue (Plebejus saepiolus)
- Melissa Blue (Plebejus melissa)
- Acmon Blue (Plebejus acmon)
- Lupine Blue (Plebejus lupini)
- Gray Blue (Agriades podarce)
- Shasta Blue (Plebejus shasta)
- Sierra Nevada Blue (Plebejus podarce)
Metalmarks (Riodinidae)
- Mormon Metalmark (Apodemia mormo)
Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)
Greater Fritillaries (Speyeria)
- Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto)
- Coronis Fritillary (Speyeria coronis)
- Atlantis Fritillary (Speyeria atlantis irene)
- Hydaspe Fritillary (Speyeria hydaspe)
- Zerene Fritillary (Speyeria zerene)
- Callippe Fritillary (Speyeria callippe)
- Great Basin Fritillary (Speyeria egleis)
- Mormon Fritillary (Speyeria mormonia)
- Pacific Fritillary (Boloria epithore)
Brushfoots (Nymphalinae)
- Leanira Checkerspot (Chlosyne leanira)
- Northern Checkerspot (Chlosyne palla)
- Hoffmann's Checkerspot (Chlosyne hoffmanni)
- Chalcedon [Variable] Checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona sierra)
- Edith's Checkerspot (Euphydryas editha)
- Field Crescent (Phyciodes campestris var. montana)
- California Crescent (Phyciodes orseis)
- Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta)
True Brushfoots (Nymphalidae)
- Satyr Comma (Polygonia satyrus)
- Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis)
- Green Comma (Polygonia faunus)
- Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
- California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)
- Milbert's Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti)
- Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
- West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella)
- American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
- Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
- Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Admirals and Relatives (Limenitidinae)
- Lorquin's Admiral (Limenitis lorquini)
- California Sister (Adelpha bredowii)
Satyrs (Satyrinae)
- Ox-Eyed Satyr (Cercyonis pegala boopis)
- Great Basin Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis sthenele silvestris)
- Small Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis oetus)
- Common Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia)
Milkweed Butterflies (Danainae)
- Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
- Queen (unlikely but possible: Danaus gilippus)
Skippers (Hesperiidae)
Spread-wing Skippers (Pyrginae)
- Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)
- Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)
- Western Cloudywing (Thorybes diversus)
- Mexican Cloudywing (Thorybes mexicana)
- Propertius Duskywing (Erynnis propertius)
- Mournful Duskywing (Erynnis tristis)
- Pacuvius Duskywing (Erynnis pacuvius)
- Persius Duskywing (Erynnis persius)
- Dreamy Duskywing (Erynnis icelus)
- Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo)
- Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)
- Two-banded Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus ruralis)
- Northern White-Skipper (Heliopetes ericetorum)
- Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
Grass Skippers (Hesperiinae)
- Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma)
- Juba Skipper (Hesperia juba)
- Lindsey's Skipper (Hesperia lindseyi)
- Nevada Skipper (Hesperia nevada)
- Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus)
- Sachem (Atalopedes campestris)
- Sonoran Skipper (Polites sonora)
- Sandhill Skipper (Polites sabuleti)
- Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides)
- Umber Skipper (Poanes melane)
- Rural Skipper (Ochlodes agricola)
- Common Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis)
- Eufala Skipper (Lerodea eufala)
Moths
- Ridings Forester (Alypia ridingsi) (Read NeoArctica's info about this moth...)
- Police Car Moth (Gnophaela vermiculata)
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