Butterflies of the SF Bay Area

Part II
Nymphalidae & Hesperiidae
Photos by Kevin Hintsa & Hank Fabian

NYMPHALIDAE
Brushfoots

NYMPHALIDAE
Heliconiinae: Fritillaries

Gulf Fritillary
Active period: July-November, but can be all year
Location: urban areas
Life Cycle: multivoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: thin veined; duller
Similar Species: none
Distinguishing Features: long pointed wings
Host plant(s): no native host; passionflower

Unsilvered Fritillary
Active period: Mid-May to mid-August
Location: San Mateo Co, & Santa Cruz Co. redwoods;
Long Ridge Open Space.
Life Cycle: univoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: none
Similar Species: Coronis (Crown) Fritillaries
Distinguishing Features: dull markings on interior
underwing.
Host plant(s): violets including Viola ocellata

Coronis (Crown)
Fritillary
Active period: Mid-April-July;
reemerge after estivation in Sept-Oct.
Location: Woodland/grassland transition zones;
marshes late
Life Cycle: Univoltine.
Sexual Dimorphism: smaller and lighter than
.
Similar Species: Callippe Fritillary
Distinguishing Features: Buffy base coat; silvery
spots ventrally. Margins spots have thick dark
caps.

Host plant(s): Violets.

Callippe Fritillary
Active period: Late April-July

Location: Woodland and riparian areas to open

grassland.

Life Cycle: Univoltine.

Sexual Dimorphism: smaller and darker than .

Similar Species: Crown Fritillary. Callippe is smaller.

Distinguishing Features: Small, dark with more

distinct ventral silver spots. Ventral marginal spots
with thin dark caps.

Host plant(s): Viola pedunculata & V.purpurea

NYMPHALIDAE
Nymphalinae: Checkerspots, Tortoiseshells, Ladies
and their Relatives

Mylitta Crescent
Active period: Jan-Nov.

Location: Anywhere there are thistles.

Life Cycle: Multivoltine

Sexual Dimorphism: checkered, smaller

two toned + checkering. Some are dark.
Similar Species: Field crescent has darker
wing bases. Buffy ventrally.

Distinguishing Features: Orange tips on

antennae clubs.

Host plant(s): All thistles.

Field Crescent
Active period: March-Oct inland; Feb Dec.
coastal.
Location: Wet areas: on coast and delta, but
uncommon between these habitats.
Life Cycle: Multivoltine.
Sexual Dimorphism: smaller and darker than
. Ventral wing with fewer buff colored
windows

Similar Species: Mylitta Crescent

Distinguishing Features: Brown antennal clubs.
Host plant(s): Aster chilensis complex

Ediths Checkerspot
Active period: March - June.

Location: Mt. Diablo summit

Life Cycle: Univoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: forewing more rounded than
Similar Species: Variable Checkerspot.
Distinguishing Features: Small, early flyer, complete row
of red spots on hindwing. More rounded forewing tips;
abdomen ringed, not spotted; antennae club dark based.
Host plant(s): Indian Warrior and native Plantago &
Collinsia tinctoria.
Note: three subspecies, Bay Area Checkerspot is rare.
Pupae can remain dormant for 2 years and can survive
some flooding. Populations now more restricted to
serpentine areas due to lack of European plant species.

Variable Checkerspot
Active period: March-July
Location: Common
Life Cycle: Univoltine. Caterpillars feed in web colony, undergo
winter diapause then continue feeding in March as single individuals
on host plants.
Sexual Dimorphism: More red than and with more pointed
wings.

Similar Species: Ediths Checkerspot and dark Northern Checkerspots

Distinguishing Features: Dark and checkered. Antennal bulb usually
entirely orange; abdomen spotted laterally.
Host plant(s): Figworts, Plantains, Monkey Flowers.
Note: Feeds on plants rich in iridoid glycosides are toxin. Warning
coloration.

dark

Northern Checkerspot
Active period: March-July.

Location: Chaparral, oak woodland, canyon riparian

and mixed forests.

Life Cycle: Univoltine; half grown larvae overwinter.

Sexual Dimorphism: similar to but has larger

dark area on medial anterior hindwing, some dark .

Similar Species: Ediths Checkerspot is redder;

Variable Checkerspot has solid orange antennae and
white lateral abdominal spots.

Distinguishing Features: Blunt wings; no white on

dorsal surface, except in dark . Ringed abdomen;
dark wing bases.

Host plant(s): Asteraceae.

Light

Leanira Checkerspot
Active period: March-July (mainly May-June)
Location: Mt. Diablo
Life Cycle: Univoltine.
Sexual Dimorphism: smaller than
Similar Species: Ediths has dark face.
Distinguishing Features: Orange face, abdomen
black ringed with white. Ventral hindwing lacks
orange or red. Orange band near but not at
dorsal forewing tips.
Host plant(s): Indian Paintbrush

Satyr Anglewing (Satyr Comma)

Active period: March to June, then August-Sept.
Location: Riparian and marsh habitats

Life Cycle: multivoltine

Sexual Dimorphism: nothing obvious

Similar Species: Oreas Anglewing

Distinguishing Features: Ventral central stripe. Dorsal three or

more hindwing spots.
Host plant(s): Native stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)

Oreas Anglewing (Oreas Comma)

Active period: Late winter-early spring, then
midsummer
Location: Cool moist forests including
redwoods
Life Cycle: Probably univoltine with adults
living a full year.
Sexual Dimorphism: None
Similar Species: Satyr & Rustic Anglewing
Distinguishing Features: Darkest anglewing and
most likely found in redwoods, much darker
ventrally and 2-2.5 dorsal hindwing spots.
Host plant(s): Ribes divaricatum

Mourning Cloak
Active period: Year round but some
hibernators from January-April

Location: Riparian and wooded habitats

Life Cycle: Multivoltine with adults

hibernating.

Sexual Dimorphism: None.

Similar Species: None.

Distinguishing Features: Cream edging,

mahogany brown with blue lateral spots
dorsally.

Host plant(s): Willows, hackerries and elms.

Notes: May migrate.

California Tortoiseshell
Active period: Hibernators: Jan-April; Hatch:
May-June; some sightings in Fall.
Location: All counties.
Life Cycle: bivoltine; hibernator and migrator
Sexual Dimorphism: wings less broad and
paler ventrally than
Similar Species: anglewings
Distinguishing Features: orange medially with
black spotting; broad black wing border.
Host plant(s): Ceanothus
Notes: May swarm in the millions; adults
hibernate in foothills.

(Rosa form)

Buckeye

Active period: All year

Location: Grasslands, open country especially dirt trails.

Life Cycle: Multivoltine

Sexual Dimorphism: smaller than with less rounded hindwing.

Similar Species: None

Distinguishing Features: Large eyespots

Host plant(s):Plants with iridoid compounds: plantain, Lippia, Mimulus,

Scrophularia, Antirrhinum, Kickxia.

Note: Migrates. Non-hibernating Rosa forms.

Painted Lady
Active period: January-November
Location: Everywhere except dense forest.
Life Cycle: Multivoltine.
Sexual Dimorphism: pinkish more orange dorsally

Similar Species: American Lady; West Coast Lady

Distinguishing Features: Eyespots on ventral wing nearly equal
in size. Pointed forewing tips.
Host plant(s):Many including Borages, Malvaceae, Asteraceae,
Notes: Overwinters in desrets. Flies southest to northwest.
Non-resident except near coast.

American Lady
Active period: Jan-Dec.

Location: Tule Marsh and forest

Life Cycle: Multivoltine.

Sexual Dimorphism: pinkish more orange

dorsally

Similar Species: Painted Lady and American Lady

Distinguishing Features: : Hindwing with 2 large

eyespots ventrally

Host plant(s): Gnaphalium and Antennaria

Note: Most common in summer

West Coast Lady

Active period: All year.

Location: Everywhere but dense forest.

Life Cycle: Multivoltine

Sexual Dimorphism: similar

Similar Species: American Lady; Painted Lady

Distinguishing Features: Spots on hindwing

nearly equal size. Square forewing tips

Host plant(s):Malvaceae, Utricaceae,

Red Admiral
Active period: All year, but most common
October-April.
Location: Everywhere.
Life Cycle: Multivoltine.
Sexual Dimorphism: Similar

Similar Species: None

Distinguishing Features: red band on dorsal
forewing and hindwing.
Host plant(s): Utricaceae + introduced garden
plants including Babys Tears.

NYMPHALIDAE
Limenitinae: White Admirals and Allies

Lorquins Admiral
Active period: March-October

Location: Everywhere

Life Cycle: Multivoltine

Sexual Dimorphism: similar

Similar Species: California Sister

Distinguishing Features: forewings orange

tipped.

Host plant(s): Salix

California Sister
Active period: March-November
Location: Oak forests.
Life Cycle: Bivoltine to Mulivoltine.
Sexual Dimorphism: similar

Similar Species: Lorquins Admiral

Distinguishing Features: Black wingtips that
boarder bold orange area.
Host plant(s): Oaks

NYMPHALIDAE
Satyrinae: Meadow Browns and Satyrs.

Fall

California Ringlet
Active period: January-November
Location: Open areas
Life Cycle: bivoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: similar
Similar Species: No butterflies, but moth mimic.
Distinguishing Features: Dusky, moth-like color
Host plant(s): Grasses
NOTE: Summer brood buffy; spring brood silvery

Spring

Great Basin Wood Nymph

Active period: May-September
Location: Grassland and oak woodland
Life Cycle: Univoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: duller ventral eyespots than

Similar Species: Common Wood Nymph

Distinguishing Features: lower eyespot larger;
hindwing ventrally more gray.
Host plant(s): Grasses

Ox-eyed Satyr (Common Wood Nymph)

Active period: May-September
Location: Coastal fog belt. Grassland and
woodland near water.
Life Cycle: Univoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: smaller eyespots of equal
size; with large eyespots, the lower one being
larger than the upper.

Similar Species: Common Wood Nymph

Distinguishing Features: Large eyespots
Host plant(s): Grasses.

NYMPHALIDAE
Damainae: Milkweed Butterflies

Monarch

Active period: Inland: March-December; Coast: OctoberFebruary

Location: All counties

Life Cycle: Multivoltine.

Sexual Dimorphism: Brighter orange with thinner veins,

black pheromone gland in central hindwing; duller,
larger, with thick veins.

Similar Species: Queen, which is accidental.

Distinguishing Features: Orange with deep black veins.

Black margins with white spots,
Host plant(s): Milkweeds

Milkweed Butterflies
Danainae (subfamily of Brushfoots)
East of Rockies, overwintering migrants to Mexico; West of Rockies,
migrate to California
Last brood lives 6 months; all others, 2 weeks after metamorphosis
Colonial hibernation
Spring hatch live 2 weeks as adults; each generation moving further
north or east
5th generation= migratory and hibernates.

Monarch Butterfly
North

5th generation

4th generation

3rd generation

2nd generation

1st
generation

Wintering

South

Monarch butterfly

HESPERIIDAE
Pyrginae
Spread-wing Skippers

Silver-spotted Skipper

Active period: May-early July

Location: Northern Counties
Life Cycle: Univoltine

Sexual Dimorphism: None

Similar Species: None
Distinguishing Features: Largest skipper in our
area.Massive pale ventral spot
Host plant(s): All Fabaceae, especially Amorpha
californica

Northern Cloudy-wing
Active period: Mid-March through July

Location: Canyons and riparian areas but may be found

elsewhere; uncommon.
Life Cycle: Univoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: None

Similar Species: Common Sootywing

Distinguishing Features: Two costal spots on ventral
forewing.
Host plant(s):Lotus. Lathyrus, other peas.

Common Sootywing
Active period: Spring-Fall
Location: Disturbed weedy habitats in our
area. Big Break. Declining in suburbs .
Life Cycle: Multivoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: lacks dorsal
spotting on hindwing; has more spots in
general.

Similar Species: Northern Cloudy-wing has

two ventral spots on forewing.
Distinguishing Features: Black wings, tiny
size
Host plant(s): Amaranthus

Propertius Duskywing
Active period: March-July
Location: Oak forests
Life Cycle: Univoltine

Sexual Dimorphism: duller; more

contrast in color

:
Similar Species: Mournful Duskywing has
white to cream fringe.
Distinguishing Features: Dark wing fringe
Host plant(s): Quercus

Mournful Duskywing
Active period: February - October
Location: Urban areas and oak forests.
Life Cycle: Multivoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: None

Similar Species: Propertius Duskywing

lacks cream fringe. Funereal
Duskywing has a pale forewing spot.
Distinguishing Features: Cream fringe
Host plant(s): Quercus

Funereal Duskywing
Active period: February-November
Location: Throughout Bay Area but
rare.
Life Cycle: Multivoltine.
Sexual Dimorphism: None.
Similar Species: Mournful Duskywing is
nearly identical
Distinguishing Features: Reddish tint
near forewing.
Host plant(s): Alfalfa, vetch, Lotus

Common Checkered Skipper

Active period: February-November
Location: Open sunny areas.
Life Cycle: Multivoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: with bluish sheen;
duller.

Similar Species: Little Checkered Skipper and

Two-banded Skipper are smaller and darker.
Distinguishing Features: Gray base with
numerous white squarish spots.
Host plant(s): Mallows

Two-banded Skipper
Active period: March-July

Location: Cool moist habitats such as bogs. Ano Nuevo

State Reserve.

Life Cycle: Univoltine.

Sexual Dimorphism: similar.

Similar Species: Least Checked Skipper and Common

Checkered Skipper lack reddish ventral hindwing.

Distinguishing Features: Reddish underwing with

numerous small dorsal white spots. Base of dorsal
hindwing has white spots.

Host plant(s): Horkelia and Fragaria

Little (Least/Small) Checkered Skipper

Active period: February-October
Location: Open areas , especially near delta
Life Cycle: multivoltine.
Sexual Dimorphism: similar

Similar Species: Common Checkered Skipper is

larger and paler. Two-banded Skipper has reddish
ventral wings and lacks dark base of dorsal
hindwings.
Distinguishing Features: Black checkered wings
small. Dorsal hindwing has dark base and two
large central white spots.
Host plant(s): Alkali mallow.

Spring form

HESPERIIDAE
Hesperiinae
Grass or Branded Skippers

Northern White Skipper

Active period: May-June; September-October.
Location: Grasslands and areas with bush
mallows.
Life Cycle: Maybe migratory. Bivoltine?
Sexual Dimorphism: whiter; more gray
medially with more pronounced margin markings.

Similar Species: female resembles Common

Checkered Skipper
Distinguishing Features: male is whiter than
other skippers . Female is checkered only along
margins . Ventral hindwing shows a buffy band .
Host plant(s): Malacothamnus

Lindsey Skipper
Active period: April - June
Location: Grasslands and serpentine.
Life Cycle: univoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: with thin stigma
with larger spots
Similar Species: Tilden Skipper has smaller
spots. Flies later than Columbia Skipper and
that species has fewer ventral spots .
Distinguishing Features: Large white squarish
spots on ventral hindwings
Host plant(s): Native grasses.

Columbia Skipper
Active period: March-June; August-September
Location: Prefers serpentine soils.
Life Cycle: bivoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: With stigma and less
black on dorsal margins than

Similar Species: Some female Tildens

Skippers, but these lack greenish luster. Flies
early.
Distinguishing Features: Greenish ventral
wings with reduced with spots; hindwing with
white row of spots interiorly to broken white
row.
Host plant(s): Perennial bunchgrasses.

Fiery Skipper
Active period: Mostly March-December
Location: Prefers urban settings. A common lawn
skipper.
Life Cycle: Multivoltine.
Sexual Dimorphism: With triangular dark spots
in wing margins. lacks these.
Similar Species: Sandhill Skipper lacks round
black spots.
Distinguishing Features: Black round spots on
ventral wings; short antennae , black interrupted
wing margins.
Host plant(s): Bermuda Grass and Alkali Grass.

Sachem
Active period: March-November, but mostly Fall.
Location: Common in urban settings; more uncommon
in the wild.

Life Cycle: Multivoltine.

Sexual Dimorphism: golden yellow with square
stigma dark brown with olivaceous underwing and
two rows of dark spots.

Similar Species: Skippers of the genus Hesperia and

Woodland Skipper. Female has dorsal translucent spot.
Distinguishing Features: Short antennae; small size.
Ventral band of spots is cream colored not silvery.
Host plant(s): Bermuda Grass and Alkali Grass.

Sandhill Skipper
Active period: March - November
Location: All counties
Life Cycle: multivoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: lighter forewings
than
Similar Species: Fiery Skipper the ventral
spots are round (not elliptical or oblong ).
Distinguishing Features: Small with distinct
underwing markings.
Host plant(s): Grasses including salt grass.

Umber Skipper
Active period: March-mid-December
Location: All locations including cities.
Life Cycle: Multivoltine.
Sexual Dimorphism: similar

Similar Species: none if rich brown color noted.

Distinguishing Features: Pale round spots
dorsally on rich brown base; underwing variable
from orange to brown to lilac.
Host plant(s): Bermuda grass and riparian
grasses.

Eufala Skipper
Active period: June-December.
Location: marshes and grasslands , especially in
the delta after July
Life Cycle: Unknown
Sexual Dimorphism: lacks stigma is
similar.

Similar Species: Dun skipper is found in forests.

Distinguishing Features: Both sexes are even
gray- brown with pale white spots
Host plant(s): Grasses.
Notes: Shrugs when alighting.

Woodland Skipper
Active period: June - November
Location: common except in cities
Life Cycle: bivoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: similar

Similar Species: Rural Skipper is smaller

and appears earlier . Sachem looks similar
ventrally .
Distinguishing Features: Ventral pattern
extremely variable. Dark underwing on
coast; paler inland. Male has a double dark
dorsal forewing mark.
Host plant(s): Perennial Grasses

Rural Skipper (Farmer)

Active period: Mid-March-mid-August
Location: All counties. Scarce in urban and suburban sites ( unlike
Woodland Skipper ).
Life Cycle: Univoltine.
Sexual Dimorphism: black double stigma marking; pale stigma
marking and more pronounced reddish marking on underwing.

Similar Species: Woodland Skipper which is much larger and flies

later .
Distinguishing Features: Pale underwings often one color .
Host plant(s): Grasses.

Yuma Skipper
Active period: Late May-July; August-October

Location: Marshes, especially the delta

Life Cycle: Bivoltine

Sexual Dimorphism: with black stigma; plain

Similar Species: Woodland skipper is smaller and

lacks acute angle on forewing.

Distinguishing Features: Large; acute angled

forewing.

Host plant(s): Common Reed (Phragmites

australis).

Dun Skipper
Active period: May-July

Location: Cool damp boggy streams in

redwoods and Douglas Fir north of the bay

Life Cycle: Univoltine

Sexual Dimorphism: black stigma;

two small dorsal spots on forewing

Similar Species: Eufala Skipper not typically

found in forests

Distinguishing Features: Dull and dark.

Host plant(s):Sedges

Skipper Comparison

Lindsey Skipper
Black: small white connecting spots.
White: Large medial squarish spot.
Size: Medium

Sachem

Woodland Skipper

Black: Large squarish white spot with

hoary fringe.

Black: Large squarish white spot without

hoary fringe.

White: Small medial squarish spot

White: no medial spot.

Size: Small

Size: Medium