Watch for These Butterflies in El Dorado County, California...
This is a modified list of butterflies in northern California 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) ; food: crucifers
- Pine White (Neophasia menapia) ; food: Ponderosa and other pines
- Large Marble (Euchloe ausonides) ; food: rock cress, other crucifers
- Pearly Marble (Euchloe hyantis) ; food: 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)
Metalmarks (Riodinidae)
- Mormon Metalmark (Apodemia mormo)
Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)
Greater Fritillaries (Speyeria)
Brushfoots (Nymphalinae)
True Brushfoots (Nymphalidae)
Admirals and Relatives (Limenitidinae)
Satyrs (Satyrinae)
Milkweed Butterflies (Danainae)
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)
Moths
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