Spotting Butterflies How, when and where to find Lepidoptera in the Cascades and Olympics
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New & Features
Spotting Butterflies
“A butterfly’s lifespan generally cor-
responds with the size of the butterfly,”
says Ulsh. The tiny blues often seen in
How, when and where to find Lepidoptera in the mountains generally only live about
10 days. Some species, however, will
the Cascades and Olympics overwinter in the egg, pupa or chrysalid
form (in the cocoon prior to becoming
winged adults). A few Northwest spe-
cies overwinter as adults, and one—the
mourning cloak—lives for ten months,
and is the longest lived butterfly in North
America.
The first thing that butterflies do upon
emerging from the chrysalis and unfold-
ing their wings is to breed. In their search
for mates, some butterflies “hilltop,” or
stake out spots on high trees or ridgelines
to make themselves more prominent. A
butterfly’s wing colors serve two distinct
purposes. The dorsal, or upperside of the
wings, are colorful, and serve to attract
mates. The ventral, or underside of the
wings generally serves to camouflage the
insects. So a butterfly such as the satyr
comma has brilliant orange and yellow
Western tiger and pale tiger swallowtail butterflies “puddling.” When looking for for spots when seen with wings open, and
butterflies along the trail keep an eye on moist areas or meadows with flowers. a bark-like texture to confuse predators
when its wings are closed.
By Andrew Engelson Butterfly Association, about where, how As adults, butterflies also seek out
Photos by Idie Ulsh and when to look for butterflies in our nectar and water. Butterflies generally
mountains. Ulsh is an accomplished find nectar from wildflowers, but some
Butterflies are the teasers of wildlife. photographer, and her photos grace the
There you are, hiking a trail through a species may nectar on tree sap or even
fantastic guide book, The Butterflies of rotting material. Males replenish levels
sun-dappled alder grove when a flash of Cascadia by Robert Michael Pyle. Ulsh
yellow and black flutters into your view. of testosterone by obtaining mineral
generously allowed Washington Trails to salts from puddles and streams. This
The butterfly settles on a salmonberry publish photos of 28 species found in the
leaf, and just as you’ve pulled out your “puddling’ behavior in wet places is often
Cascades or Olympics. a good opportunity to spot groups of
camera, it silently flits away.
But once you know a few species butterflies in the high country.
commonly found in the Cascades and The life of a butterfly Many species of butterflies are de-
Olympics, you’ll be hooked trying to Butterflies have four stages of life: pendent on one or two species of plants
identify them. egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most but- for their survival. The red admiral, for
I recently spoke with Idie Ulsh, terflies are “on the wing”—in the adult instance, is almost exclusively dependent
founding president of the Washington stage—from March to early October.
continued on page 27...
The four stages in the life of a pale tiger swallowtail (left to right): egg, larva, pupa, and
adult. Butterflies generally emerge into the adult stage between March and October.
WASHINGTON TRAILS August 2006
mountain butterflies
spotting butterflies on the wing
in the Cascades and Olympics
photos by Idie Ulsh
Washington Butterfly Association
This 4-page color insert details 28 butterfly species commonly found in the Anicia checkerspot
mountains and on the trails of Washington. Some are found east of the Euphydryas anicia
Cascade Crest, some from the west, and some statewide. For more infor- According to Butterflies of
mation, consult the guidebook The Butterflies of Cascadia by Robert Michael Cascadia, this species is found
Pyle or visit the Washington Butterfly Association’s website at www.naba. abundantly on mountain ridges
org/chapters/nabaws/. east of the Cascade Crest.
Hoffman’s checkerspot Lorquin’s admiral Red admiral
Chlosyne hoffmanni Limenitis lorquini Vanessa atalanta
An exclusively mountain but- Widespread throughout the This lovely butterfly is found
terfly, this species loves high state, it’s named for a gold- in all areas of the state. Its
meadows and moist clearings rush era French naturalist from larvae feed almost exclusively
along the Cascade Crest. California. Peaks July-Aug. on stinging nettles.
Gray hairstreak Great spangled fritillary Western meadow fritillary
Strymon melinus Speyeria cybele Boloria epithore
Often confused with the tailed Found in prairies and grass- The larvae favor violets; adults
blue, it’s found throughout the lands from low to mid-eleva- are found in open clearings
state. Breeds in lowlands but tions, the larvae of this species and streamsides in Cascades,
will ascend to high country. feast on violets. lowlands and Olympics.
WASHINGTON TRAILS August 2006mountain butterflies
swallowtails and commas
Large and colorful, swallowtails are some of the flashiest and largest
butterflies in the state. Some species, such as the anise, are abundant
throughout the state, while the Indra is only found east of the Cascade
Crest. Look for swallowtails puddling in wet places, nectaring on a
variety of flowers, or “hilltopping” on mountain ridges.
Anise swallowtail
Papilio zelicaon
Commas are a feat of camouflage—brightly colored on the upperside Abundant in all areas of the
and bark-like on the underside of the wings. The state’s two species state (except the darkest, deep-
are found on both sides of the Cascade Crest. est forests) this species peaks
in May and July–August.
Indra swallowtail
Papilo indra
A lovely and sporadic resident Pale tiger swallowtail Two-tailed tiger swallowtail
of the eastern slopes of the Papilo eurymedon Papilio multicaudatus
Cascades. Look for it in can- Found in open woodlands The largest of the butterflies
yons, streambanks and along and places with flowers from found in Washington is com-
ridges. Adults are on the wing lowlands to highest summits. mon east of the Cascade Crest,
in May. Look for adults May–June. and peaks in June.
Western tiger swallowtail
Papilio rutulus
One of the most common but- Satyr comma Green comma
terflies in the state and most Polygonia satyrus Polygonia faunus
often mislabled “Monarch.”
Camoflauged beneath, and Look in woodlands east and
Look for them “puddling” in
brightly colored on the upper west of the Cascade Crest for
wet places such as stream-
wings, satyrs are found state- this camoflauged wonder.
banks and meadows.
wide. Larvae favor nettles. Adults peak Apr.–May, Aug.
WASHINGTON TRAILS August 2006butterflies and
skippers
Elfins are diminutive—but
speedy—butterflies. The Western
pine elfin is completely dependent
on pines as a food source, while
the brown elfin is a generalist
happy with a wide variety of
Brown elfin
Incisalia augustinus Western pine elfin
plants. Incisalia eryphon
This tiny species (about an inch
across) is found in varied habi- Larvae are completely depen-
Two exceptionally beautiful moun- tats east and west of the crest. dent on ponderosa and lodge-
tain butterflies are the mountain Most abundant in April. pole pines; small butterlies
parnassian and the mourning found east of the crest.
cloak. Glassy, translucent wings
and bright red dots distinguish the
mountain parnassian. Despite its
morbid name, the mourning cloak
is actually North America’s lon-
gest lived butterfly (10 months).
Sara’s orangetip is an unmistak-
able beauty with its lacey wings
and bright orange bands.
Skippers are a sub-category of
butterflies with delta-like wings
and speedy, darting flight. The Mountain parnassian Mourning cloak
woodland skipper is an abundant Parnassius smintheus Nymphalis antiopa
species, found in almost all areas Residing at higher elevations, Black on the underside and
of the state. this beautiful, translucent- brown with blue dots and a
winged species is dependent fringe of yellow, they’re com-
on sedums (stonecrop). mon in the Cascades.
Mylitta crescent Sara’s orangetip Woodland skipper
Phyciodes mylitta Anthocharis sara Ochlodes sylvanoides
Very common in all areas of Common in all open areas, this Skippers are delta-winged
the state, look for mylittas in graceful species has distinctive cousins of butterflies; this is
grassy, open areas. Larvae and orange wingtips. Peaks in July the state’s most common spe-
adults favor thistles for food. in high country. cies, found in open areas.
WASHINGTON TRAILS August 2006mountain butterflies blues
One of the more common butterflies you’ll
enounter on the trail are the numerous
variety of blues.
Species may be difficult to distinguish for
the beginning observer, but there are a few
stand-outs for the careful butterflier.
The arrowhead blue has distinctive white
“arrows” pointing toward its abdomen.
The Anna’s blue, with its finer spots, is a
common resident above 3,000 feet eleva- Anna’s blue
tion. And the Western tailed blue has a tiny Upperside (dorsal) wings of Lycaeides anna
“tail” that it’s happy to sacrifice to hungry the Boisduval’s blue. The “hiker’s blue” is typically
predators. found above 3,000 feet in al-
pine meadows of the Cascades
and northeast Olympics.
Arrowhead blue Boisduval’s blue Dotted blue
Glaucopsyche piasus Icaricia icarioides Euphilotes enoptes
Resides in deserts, steppe, Completely dependent on Dependent on buckwheat, the
and forests east of the crest. lupines. Generally found east dotted blue is found along the
Least common of blues, distin- of Cascade Crest and the eastern crest of the Cascades.
guished by white “arrows.” northeastern Olympics. On the wing June–July.
Lupine blue Melissa’s blue Western tailed blue
Icaricia lupini Lycaeides melissa Everes amyntula
Completely dependent on lu- Found deserts and steppe, the This species uses antennae-
pines, these blues are found Melissa’s is similar to Anna’s, like tails to distract predators.
east of the Cascade Crest and in but almost always found below Found in moist habitats, from
the northeastern Olympics. 3,000 feet. low elevations to subapline.
WASHINGTON TRAILS August 2006News & Features
on stinging nettles. Red admiral larvae
eat nettle leaves, and the adults sip the
flower’s nectar. Pine elfins are depen-
dent on ponderosa and lodgepole pine,
while Boisduval’s blues are completely
dependent on lupines.
Success for these species requires lay-
ing eggs on the host plant. Amazingly, a
female butterfly can “taste” a plant with
her feet, and once she’s found the right
species, she’ll deposit her eggs.
Finding and identifying
butterflies
Telling a butterfly from a moth is one of
the first steps of identification. Ulsh says
that this can be done fairly easily by look-
ing at the insect’s antennae. “In North
America, all moths’ antennae are either
feathered or tapered to a fine point,” she
says. “All butterflies have a knob or swell-
ing at the end of the antennae.” Moths
are generally nocturnal, while butterflies
Square-spotted blues (Euphilotes battoides) mating. Adult butterflies breed
are active during the day.
and nectar while “on the wing,” sometimes living for as briefly as 10 days.
The best time to observe butterflies
is during full sunlight, from about 10
lent way to help with identification.
a.m. to 4 p.m. “Butterflies usually need
temperatures of about 60 degrees before
Some species have minute differences, Tips for spotting
and even the most expert butterfliers
they can fly,” says Ulsh.
In general, the best way to spot but-
have trouble distinguishing them. But butterflies in the
Ulsh says about 70 percent of all but-
terflies along the trail is to “look for
terflies in the state can be identified mountains
the two things adults need to survive,”
without netting them. To learn more
says Ulsh. “That is, water and nectar.” Look from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
about butterflies, consider going on a
Where a stream crosses the trail, or in Butterflies need sunlight to fly.
Washington Butterfly Association out-
moist meadows, you may find pale tiger
ing or butterfly count. To find out more, Peak time “on the wing” is late June
swallowtails and anise swallowtails pud-
visit www.naba.org/chapters/nabaws/. through October.
dling together. Places with abundant
An excellent resource is the guide book Butterflies are often found near
flowers—especially the host flowers a
The Butterflies of Cascadia by Robert moist areas or flower meadows.
certain species is dependent on—are
Michael Pyle and illustrated by Idie Ulsh
also good bets. Some species favor high If a butterfly lands, walk slowly and
(Seattle Audubon, $29.95, 2002).
alpine country (the mountain Parnas- “robotically” toward it.
Butterflies face ecological threats from
sian) while others prefer pine glades Think small: Over 50 percent of
the usual threats: pesticides, pollution
(Western pine elfin). species are an inch or less across.
and loss of habitat among them. “There
In order to identify a butterfly, first try
used to be so many vacant lots where Use binoculars to help identify, or
to get as close as possible. Once a but-
butterflies could find host plants,” says take photographs.
terfly has landed, Ulsh says to “walk like
Ulsh. “But now that vacant lots are being Consult a guide: The Butterflies of
a robot” with slow and methodical move-
developed, there’s less habitat for many Cascadia by Robert Michael Pyle
ments. You can usually get within about
species of Lepidoptera.” (Seattle Audubon, $29.95, 2002)
6 feet, which is ideal for observation. A
One misconception that Ulsh wants is the definitive book.
pair of binoculars can help, especially
to dispel regards monarch butterflies.
those with a close focus feature. Take a Washington Butterfly
“There are no monarchs in Washington,”
Next, describe the butterfly to your- Association field trip: visit www.
Ulsh says of the well-known migratory
self. What colors and shapes do you see naba.org/chapters/nabaws/ for
species. “The western tiger swallowtail is
on the upperside and underside wings? more info.
very often confused with monarchs.”
Photographing the butterfly is an excel-
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