Finding Utah Butterflies-->Basin and Range Province

Utah and Salt Lake Valley are quite unique in that they provide a buffer zone between two vastly different mountain ranges--The Wasatch Range to the east and the Oquirrh Mountains to the west.  The Wasatch Range represents the westernmost extension of the Rocky Mountains whereas the Oquirrh Mountains and Lake Mountains represent the eastern extension of the Great Basin or Basin and Range Province.  (The Lake Mountains and the Wasatch Front literally are within 14 miles of each other--speaking of the aerial distance [13.2 miles] of Israel Canyon to the mouth of American Fork Canyon.)

Because these two mountain ranges come from different geological eras, their flora and fauna can be quite diverse as well. 

Whereas canyons of the Wasatch Front are filled with trees and shrubs such as Box Elder, Willow, Scrub Oak, Maple, and Choke Cherry, contrastingly, canyons of the Basin and Range Province are more densely populated with Pinyon, Juniper, Sagebrush, and, less commonly, Indian Paintbrush and Cliffrose.

Just as the floral distribution between these two mountain ranges is diverse, so is the faunal distribution of several butterflies--especially on the subspecific level.

This is evident in many butterfly families including the family Pieridae (Whites, Sulphurs, and Orangetips.)  For example, Spring Whites and Orange-tips fly in both the Wasatch Front and in the Basin and Range Province.  However, on a spring day around April 20, if you take the time to collect Utah Julia Orangetips (Anthocharis julia browningi) and Spring Whites (Pontia sisymbri sisymbri) at Rock Canyon in the Wasatch say in the morning; and then, in the afternoon, venture only 25 miles away to Spring Creek west of Cedar Fort, you will find the Orangetips (Anthocharis thoosa thoosa) and the Dark-Veined Spring Whites (Pontia sisymbri nigravenosa) to look quite a bit different than their Wasatch Front counterparts.  

The same story holds true in the family Nymphalidae (Brush-footed butterflies) with Variable Checkerspots.  The Wasatch Front variety is Euphydryas anicia maria whereas the Basin and Range subspecies is Euphydryas anicia wheeleri.  Please scroll below to get a checklist of butterflies from the Basin and Range Province.

Specific Habitat Locations:

Butterfly Checklist for Basin and Range Province:

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