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Great Basin National Park
Butterflies

Butterflies of Great Basin National Park
White Pine County, Nevada

Mainly from data from Dr. George T. Austin, Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, Nevada
(see references)


Swallowtails (Family Papilionidae)

Swallowtails (Subfamily Papilioninae)

  • Old World Swallowtail -- (Papilio machaon bairdii)
  • Anise Swallowtail -- (Papilio zelicaon)
  • Indra Swallowtail -- (Papilio indra)
  • Western Tiger Swallowtail -- (Papilio rutulus)
  • Two-tailed Swallowtail -- (Papilio multicaudata)
  • Pale Swallowtail -- (Papilio eurymedon)


Whites and Sulphurs (Family Pieridae)

Whites (Subfamily Pierinae)

  • Pine White -- (Neophasia menapia)
  • Becker's White -- (Pontia beckerii)
  • Spring White -- (Pontia sisymbrii)
  • Checkered White -- (Pontia protodice)
  • Western White -- (Pontia occidentalis)
  • Margined White -- (Pieris marginalis)
  • Cabbage White -- (Pieris rapae)
  • Large Marble -- (Euchloe ausonides)
  • Desert Marble -- (Euchloe lotta)
  • Southwestern Orangetip -- (Anthocharis thoosa)

Sulphurs (Subfamily Coliadinae)

  • Clouded Sulphur -- (Colias philodice)
  • Orange Sulphur -- (Colias eurytheme)
  • Queen Alexandra's Sulphur -- (Colias alexandra)
  • Southern Dogface -- (Zerene cesonia)
  • Cloudless Sulphur -- (Phoebis sennae)
  • Sleepy Orange -- (Eurema nicippe)
  • Dainty Sulphur -- (Nathalis iole)


Gossamer-wing Butterflies (Family Lycaenidae)

Coppers (Subfamily Lycaeninae)

  • Tailed Copper -- (Lycaena arota)
  • Ruddy Copper -- (Lycaena rubidus)
  • Blue Copper -- (Lycaena heteronea)
  • Purplish Copper -- (Lycaena helloides)
  • Lilac-bordered Copper -- (Lycaena nivalis)

Hairstreaks (Subfamily Theclinae)

  • Coral Hairstreak -- (Satyrium titus)
  • Behr's Hairstreak -- (Satyrium behrii)
  • California Hairstreak -- (Satyrium californica)
  • Sylvan Hairstreak -- (Satyrium sylvinus)
  • Hedgerow Hairstreak -- (Satyrium saepium)
  • Western Green Hairstreak -- (Callophrys affinis)
  • Brown Elfin -- (Callophrys [Incisalia] augustinus)
  • Desert Elfin -- (Callophrys [Incisalia] fotis)
  • Western Pine Elfin -- (Callophrys [Incisalia] eryphon)
  • Thicket Hairstreak -- (Callophrys [Loranthomitoura] spinetorum)
  • Juniper Hairstreak -- (Callophrys [Mitoura] gryneus chalcosiva [brown form])
  • Gray Hairstreak -- (Strymon melinus)

Blues (Subfamily Polyommatinae)

  • Western Pygmy-Blue -- (Brephidium exilis)
  • Marine Blue -- (Leptotes marina)
  • Ceraunus Blue -- (Hemiargus ceraunus)
  • Reakirt's Blue -- (Hemiargus isola)
  • Western Tailed-Blue -- (Everes amyntula)
  • Spring Azure -- (Celastrina ladon)
  • Bernardino Dotted-Blue -- (Euphilotes bernardino)
  • Rocky Mountain Dotted-Blue -- (Euphilotes ancilla)
  • Pallid Dotted-Blue -- (Euphilotes pallescens)
  • Spalding's Dotted-Blue -- (Euphilotes spaldingi)
  • Arrowhead Blue -- (Glaucopsyche piasus)
  • Silvery Blue -- (Glaucopsyche lygdamus)
  • Melissa Blue -- (Lycaeides melissa)
  • Greenish Blue -- (Plebejus saepiolus)
  • Boisduval's Blue -- (Plebejus [Icaricia] icarioides)
  • Shasta Blue -- (Plebejus [Icaricia] shasta)
  • Lupine Blue -- (Plebejus [Icaricia] lupini)


Metalmarks (Family Riodinidae)

  • Mormon Metalmark -- (Apodemia mormo)


Brush-footed Butterflies (Family Nymphalidae)

Heliconians and Fritillaries (Subfamily Heliconiinae)

  • Variegated Fritillary -- (Euptoieta claudia)
  • Great Spangled Fritillary -- (Speyeria cybele)
  • Nokomis Fritillary -- (Speyeria nokomis)
  • Coronis Fritillary -- (Speyeria coronis)
  • Zerene Fritillary -- (Speyeria zerene)
  • Callippe Fritillary -- (Speyeria callippe)
  • Great Basin Fritillary -- (Speyeria egleis)
  • Mormon Fritillary -- (Speyeria mormonia)

True Brush-foots (Subfamily Nymphalinae)

  • Arachne Checkerspot -- (Poladryas arachne)
  • Leanira Checkerspot -- (Thessalia leanira alma)
  • Bordered Patch -- (Chlosyne lacinia)
  • Sagebrush Checkerspot -- (Chlosyne acastus)
  • Northern Crescent -- (Phyciodes cocyta)
  • Field Crescent -- (Phyciodes pratensis)
  • Pale Crescent -- (Phyciodes pallidus)
  • Mylitta Crescent -- (Phyciodes mylitta)
  • Variable Checkerspot -- (Euphydryas chalcedona wheeleri (Henry Edwards)) -- Originally described from the park.
  • Edith's Checkerspot -- (Euphydryas editha lehmani Gunder) -- Originally described from the park.
  • Edith's Checkerspot -- (Euphydryas editha koreti Murphy and Ehrlich) -- Originally described from the park.
  • Satyr Comma -- (Polygonia satyrus)
  • Hoary Comma -- (Polygonia gracilis zephyrus)
  • California Tortoiseshell -- (Nymphalis californica)
  • Mourning Cloak -- (Nymphalis antiopa)
  • Milbert's Tortoiseshell -- (Nymphalis milberti)
  • American Lady -- (Vanessa virginiensis)
  • Painted Lady -- (Vanessa cardui)
  • West Coast Lady -- (Vanessa annabella)
  • Red Admiral -- (Vanessa atalanta)
  • Common Buckeye -- (Junonia coenia)
  • Tropical Buckeye -- (Junonia genoveva)

Admirals and Relatives (Subfamily Limenitidinae)

  • Weidemeyer's Admiral -- (Limenitis weidemeyerii)
  • Lorquin's Admiral -- (Limenitis lorquini)
  • California Sister -- (Adelpha bredowii)

Satyrs (Subfamily Satyrinae)

  • Common Ringlet -- (Coenonympha tullia ochracea)
  • Common Wood Nymph -- (Cercyonis pegala)
  • Great Basin Wood Nymph -- (Cercyonis sthenele)
  • Small Wood Nymph -- (Cercyonis oetus)
  • Ridings' Satyr -- (Neominois ridingsii)
  • Chryxus Arctic -- (Oeneis chryxus)

Monarchs (Subfamily Danainae)

  • Monarch -- (Danaus plexippus)
  • Queen -- (Danaus gilippus)


Skippers (Family Hesperiidae)

Spread-wing Skippers (Subfamily Pyrginae)

  • Dreamy Duskywing -- (Erynnis icelus)
  • Rocky Mountain Duskywing -- (Erynnis telemachus)
  • Persius Duskywing -- (Erynnis persius)
  • Small Checkered-Skipper -- (Pyrgus scriptura)
  • Common Checkered-Skipper -- (Pyrgus communis)
  • Northern White-Skipper -- (Heliopetes ericetorum)
  • Mohave Sootywing -- (Hesperopsis libya)

Grass Skippers (Subfamily Hesperiinae)

  • Fiery Skipper -- (Hylephila phyleus)
  • Uncas Skipper -- (Hesperia uncas)
  • Juba Skipper -- (Hesperia juba)
  • Western Branded Skipper -- (Hesperia colorado)
  • Pahaska Skipper -- (Hesperia pahaska)
  • Sandhill Skipper -- (Polites sabuleti)
  • Woodland Skipper -- (Ochlodes sylvanoides)
  • Yuma Skipper -- (Ochlodes yuma)

Giant-Skippers (Subfamily Megathyminae)

  • Yucca Giant-Skipper -- (Megathymus yuccae)

>View this complete list at: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/insects/insect/greatb.htm

>http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/

>Butterflies of Great Basin National Park Area (3,000 KB PDF File)

References

Austin, George T. 1995. Preliminary checklist of the butterflies of Great Basin National Park, Baker, Nevada. Unpublished report submitted to National Park Service. Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, 33 pages.

Austin, George T. 2000. Definitive destination: Great Basin National Park. American Butterflies 8(3): 20-31.

Murphy, D.D. and Ehrlich, P.R. 1983. Biosystematics of the Euphydryas of the central Great Basin with description of a new subspecies. Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 22: 254-261.

Preston, J.D. and F.W. Preston. 1995. Preliminary report of collecting under permit by June D. and Floyd W. Preston. Unpublished report submitted to National Park Service. Lawrence, Kansas. 4 pages.

 

Century + year old orchard; Photographed by Bryan Petrytyl  

Did You Know?
The apricot trees in front of the Lehman Caves Visitor Center in Great Basin National Park are over 100 years old! The trees are thought to have been planted by Absalom Lehman, discoverer of Lehman Caves. These historic fruit trees continue to produce today.

Last Updated: January 20, 2007 at 12:03 EST