Finding Utah Butterflies-->Canyon Country
Utah's Canyon Country covers a broad area of the state which can be identified basically as the Colorado Plateau. Because of elevational consideration, Utah's Canyon Country does not include nearby habitat that has already been identified as "Montane."
Part of this physiogeographic region includes the area in and adjacent to many of Utah's National Parks such as Zion's National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Monument, Canyonlands National Park, and Arches National Park. Other areas fall under the umbrella of the Colorado Plateau including the San Rafael Reef, the San Rafael Swell, East Tavaputs Plateau, Castle Country, and similar habitats in and around the Uinta Basin.
In addition to the vast array of butterflies found in Utah's Canyon Country, any naturalist can be equally enthralled by its pristine beauty.
Buckhorn Wash near the
San Rafael Swell where colonies of Papilio bairdi, Hesperopsis alpheus
oricus,
Hesperia pahaska nr. martini, Hesperia uncas lasus, Precis coenia, and Zerene
cesonia have been found.
Window Blind Peak (South of San Rafael River
Bridge, Emery County.) This is a classic spot to find
Papilio indra
minori, Hesperopsis libya confertiblanca, Hesperia uncas lasus, Euphydryas anicia
wecoeut, Chlosyne
acastus, Pontia beckeri, Euchloe hyantis lotta
and Euphilotes ellisi.
(Colony numbers fluctuate due to drought.)
Canyon Country Checklist
Swallowtails and Parnassians (Family Papilionidae)Papilio bairdi (baird's swallowtail) Papilio zelicaon nitra (anise swallowtail) Papilio indra minori (mesa rim cliff swallowtail) Papilio multicaudata multicaudata (two-tailed swallowtail) Papilio rutulus rutulus (western tiger swallowtail)
Pontia sisymbri nigravenosa (dark-veined spring white) Pieris rapae (cabbage white) Neophasia menapia menapia (pine white) Euchloe hyantis lotta (desert marble) Anthocharis thoosa thoosa (southwestern orangetip) Colias philodice eriphyle (yellow sulphur)Colias eurytheme (orange sulphur) Colias alexandra edwardsi (queen alexandra's sulphur) Zerene cesonia (southern dogface) Eurema nicippe (sleepy orange) Nathalis iole (dainty sulphur)
Speyeria coronis snyderi (coronis fritillary) Speyeria callippe harmonia (callippe fritillary) Speyeria hesperis wasatchia (northwestern fritillary) Poladryas arachne expedita (arachne checkerspot) Thessalia fulvia pariaensis (fulvia checkerspot) Thessalia leanira alma (leanira checkerspot) Chlosyne acastus acastus (sagebrush checkerspot) Phyciodes tharos riocolorado (pearl crescent) Phyciodes pulchellus camillus (field crescent) Phyciodes picta (painted crescent) Phyciodes mylitta mylitta (thistle crescent) Euphydyras anicia wecoeut (anicia checkerspot) Euphydyras anicia alena (anicia checkerspot) Polygonia satyrus satyrus (satyr comma) Nymphalis antiopa (mourning cloak) Nymphalis californica (california tortoiseshell) Nymphalis milberti subpallida (milbert's tortoiseshell) Vanessa cardui (painted lady) Vanessa carye annabella (west coast lady) Vanessa atalanta rubria (red admiral) Junonia coenia grisea (common buckeye) Limenitis weidemeyeri latifascia (weidemeyer's admiral) Limenitis weidemeyeri angustifascia (weidemeyer's admiral) Adelpha eulalia (arizona sister)
Danaus gilippus thersippus (queen)
Cercyonis meadi meadi (mead's wood nymph) Cercyonis sthenele masoni (great basin wood nymph) Cercyonis oetus charon (small wood nymph) Neominois ridingsi coloalbiterra (riding's satyr) Oeneis chryxus chryxus (chryxus arctic) |
Atlides halesus corcorani (great purple hairstreak) Satyrium titus immaculosis (coral hairstreak) Satyrium behri behri (behr's hairstreak) Callophrys affinis apama (western green hairstreak) Callophrys sheridani comstocki (desert green hairstreak) Incisalia fotis fotis (desert elfin) Mitoura siva siva (juniper hairstreak) Strymon melinus franki (gray hairstreak) Brephidium exile (western pygmy-blue) Hemiargus ceraunus gyas (ceraunus blue) Hemiargus isola alce (reakirt's blue) Everes amyntula (western tailed blue) Celastrina ladon echo (spring azure) Euphilotes ellisi ellisi (ellis' dotted-blue) Euphilotes mojave virginensis (mojave dotted-blue) Euphilotes stanfordorum (stanford's blue) Euphilotes pallescens emmeli (pallid dotted-blue) Glaucopsyche lygdamus oro (silvery blue) Plebejus melissa melissa (melissa blue) Plebejus lupini lutzi (lupine blue)
Thorybes mexicana nevada (mexican cloudywing) Erynnis brizo burgessi (sleepy duskywing) Erynnis telemachus (rocky mountain duskywing) Pyrgus xanthus (mountain checkered skipper) Pyrgus communis communis (common checkered skipper) Heliopetes ericetorum (great white skipper) Pholisora catullus (common sootywing) Hesperopsis libya confertiblanca (mesa rim sootywing) Hesperopsis alpheus oricus (saltbush sootywing) Copaeodes aurantiacus (orange skipperling) Hesperia uncas lasus (uncas skipper) Hesperia juba (juba skipper) Hesperia pahaska nr. martini (pahaska skipper) Polites sabuleti alkaliensis (sandhill skipper) Ochlodes sylvanoides omnigena (woodland skipper) Poanes taxiles (taxiles skipper) Megathymus yuccae navajo (yucca giant-skipper) Megathymus streckeri streckeri (strecker's giant-skipper) |
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