Butterflies Identified in Oracle State Park
Southeastern Arizona

To identify a butterfly:  Butterflies and Moths of North America
Common Name Scientific Name Wing Colors Wingspan
Inches		 Caterpillar Food Plants
Acmon Blue Plebejus acmon closed: light brown, black and orange spots 0.75 - 1.13 Buckwheats, Lupines, Milkvetches
American Snout Libytheana carinenta closed: light brown; orange and dark brown and white spotted streak 1.4 - 2 Hackberry
Arizona Powdered Skipper Systasea zampa open: light brown and orange patches, darker brown spots 1 - 1.5 Mallows, including Hollyhock
Cassus Roadside Skipper Amblyscirtes cassus closed: mottled brown with orange streak on forewing 1 - 1.25 various grasses
Ceraunus Blue Hemiargus ceraunus closed: pale blue or brown, spots
open: blue		 0.5 - 0.75 Fairy Duster, Dalea
Checkered Skipper Pyrgus communis open: dark brown with white spots 1 Mallows, including Hollyhock
Checkered White Pontia protodice open: white with brown spots 1.5 - 2.5 Mustard family, Caper family
Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae closed: bright to pale yellow, few tiny spots 2 Senna
Common Sootywing Pholisora catullus closed: dark brown, white spots 1 - 1.3 Amaranth
Dainty Sulphur Nathalis iole closed: pale yellow with gray or gray 0.75 - 1.25 Aster family and Marigolds
Elada Checkerspot Texola elada open: dark brown and orange checkerboard 0.88 - 1.25 Sunflower family
Golden-Headed Scallopwing Staphylus ceos open: sooty-black with golden head 1 Goosefoot family
Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae open: orange with black lines & spots 2 - 3 Passion Vine
Hackberry Emperor Asterocampa celtis closed: dull brown, black and white spots 1.3 - 2.5 Hackberry
Leda Ministreak Ministrymon leda closed: gray 0.75 - 0.875 Mesquite
Marine Blue Leptotes marina closed: gray with light brown, black eyespots on bottom rear 0.87 - 1.13 Legumes: Acacia, Mesquite, etc.
Mormon Metalmark Apodemia mormo closed: orange with black and white spots 0.87 - 1.25 Buckwheats
Northern White Skipper Heliopetes ericetorum closed: white with pale tan marks 1.25 - 1.5 Mallows, including Hollyhock
Orange Skipperling Copaeodes aurantiacus closed: dark to pale orange 0.75 - 1 Grasses: Bamboo Muhly, etc.
Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme closed: variable yellow to orange to white; ringed white spots 1.38 - 2.75 Clovers
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui open: orange with brown & white spots 2 Thistle, Sunflower, Lupine
Palmer's Metalmark Apodemia palmeri open: brown & orange & white spotted 0.75 - 1.13 Mesquites
Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor open: black, white spots back edge 4 Pipevines
Queen Danaus gilippus closed: orange with black borders & white spots 2 - 3 Milkweeds
Reakirt's Blue Echinargus isola closed: light brown, black spots with white border; open: blue 0.75 - 1.13 Legumes: Mesquite, Dalea, Mimosa, etc.
Sheep Skipper Atrytonopsis edwardsi closed: brown, few blurred white patches 1.25 - 1.5 Grasses: Sideoats Grama, etc.
Sleepy Orange Eurema nicippe closed: yellow-orange with brown spots or blotches 1.5 Senna
Southern Dogface Zerene cesonia closed: yellow with solid black spot upper middle 2.1 - 3 Legumes: Dalea, Milkvetch, etc.
Streaky Skipper Celotes nessus open: dark-brown with light-brown streaks 0.87 - 1.19 Mallows, including Hollyhock
Variegated Fritillary Euptoieta claudia open: orange with light & dark brown 1.75 - 3.12 Passion Vine, Purslane