Butterflies of Rocky Mountain National Park
Compiled by
Dr. Paul A. Opler, Professor
Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523
(Phone 970/667-8448; e-mail paulevi@webaccess.net)
Richard Bray
5613 McLean Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814
(Phone 301/652-0387; e-mail mtlep@earthlink.net)
Sara Simonson
Natural Resources Ecology Laboratory
Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80523
(E-mail saras@frontier.net)
[August 6, 2000]
Nomenclature follows The North American Butterfly Association Checklist and English Names of North American Butterflies. 1995
Emendations necessitated by recent changes in butterfly taxonomy and species concepts to be published in revised Peterson Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Opler, 1999).
| Swallowtail Family | FMP CODE |
| Rocky Mountain Parnassian (Parnassius smintheus) | PARSMI |
| Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) | PAPZEL |
| Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) | PAPPOL |
| *Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon bairdii) | PAPMAC |
| Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) | PAPRUT |
| Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon) | PAPEUR |
| Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudatus) | PAPMUL |
| White And Sulfur Family | |
| Pine White (Neophasia menapia) | NEOMEN |
| Becker's White (Pontia beckerii) | PONBEC |
| Checkered White (Pontia protodice) | PONPRO |
| Western White (Pontia occidentalis) | PONOCC |
| Spring White (Pontia sisymbrii) | PONSIS |
| Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) | PONRAP |
| Margined White (Pieris marginalis) | PIEMAR |
| Large Marble (Euchloe ausonides) | EUCAUS |
| Olympia Marble (Euchloe olympia) | EACOLY |
| Southern Rocky Mountain Orange-tip (Anthocharis julia) | ANTJUL |
| Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) | COLEUR |
| Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice) | COLPHI |
| Alexandra's Sulphur (Colias alexandra) | COLALE |
| Scudder's Sulphur (Colias scudderi) | COLSCU |
| Mead's Sulphur (Colias meadii) | COLMEA |
| Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia) | ZERCES |
| Mexican yellow (Eurema mexicana) | EURMEX |
| Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe) | EURNIC |
| Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole) | NATIOL |
| Gossamer Wing Family | |
| Purplish Copper (Lycaena helloides) | LYCHEL |
| Lustrous Copper (Lycaena cupreus) | LYCCUP |
| Blue Copper (Lycaena heteronea) | LYCHET |
| Ruddy Copper (Lycaena rubidus) | LYCRUB |
| Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus) | SATTIT |
| California Hairstreak (Satyrium californica) | SATCAL |
| Behr's Hairstreak (Satyrium behrii) | SATBEH |
| Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus) | CALGRY |
| Thicket Hairstreak (Callophrys spinetorum) | CALSPI |
| Bramble Hairstreak (Callophrys affinis) | CALAFF |
| Sheridan's Hairstreak (Callophrys sheridanii) | CALSHE |
| Hoary Elfin (Callophrys polios) | CALPOL |
| *Moss' Elfin (Callophrys mossii) | CALMOS |
| Brown Elfin (Callophrys augustinus) | CALAUG |
| Western Pine Elfin (Callophrys eryphon) | CALERY |
| Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) | STRMEL |
| Marine Blue (Leptotes marina) | LEPMAR |
| Reakirt's Blue (Hemiargus isola) | HEMISO |
| Eastern Tailed-Blue (Everes comyntas) | EVECOM |
| Western Tailed-Blue (Everes amyntula) | EVEAMY |
| Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon) | CELLAD |
| Lupine Blue (Plebejus lupini) | PLELUP |
| Shasta Blue (Plebejus shasta) | PLESHA |
| Greenish Blue (Plebejus saepiolus) | PLESAE |
| Mountain Blue (Plebejus icarioides) | PLEICA |
| Melissa Blue (Lycaeides melissa) | LYCMEL |
| Arctic Blue (Agriades glandon) | AGRGLA |
| Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus) | GLALYG |
| Arrowhead Blue (Glaucopsyche piasus) | GLAPIA |
| Rocky Mountain Blue (Euphilotes ancilla) | EUPANC |
| Brushfoot Family | |
| *Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) | AGRVAN |
| Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) | EUPCLA |
| Mormon Fritillary (Speyeria mormonia) | SPEMOR |
| Atlantis Fritillary (Speyeria atlantis) | SPEATL |
| Northwestern Fritillary (Speyeria hesperis) | SPEHES |
| Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite) | SPEAPH |
| Edwards' Fritillary (Speyeria edwardsii) | SPEEDW |
| Coronis Fritillary (Speyeria coronis) | SPECOR |
| Zerene Fritillary (Speyeria zerene) | SPEZER |
| Callippe Fritillary (Speyeria callippe) | SPECAL |
| **Great Basin Fritillary (Speyeria egleis secreta) | SPEEGL |
| Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona) | BOLBEL |
| Arctic Fritillary (Boloria chariclea) | BOLCHA |
| Silver-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene) | BOLSEL |
| Bog Fritillary (Boloria eunomia) | BOLEUN |
| Freija Fritillary (Boloria freija) | BOLFRE |
| Frigga Fritillary (Boloria frigga) | BOLFRI |
| Variable Checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona) | EUPCHA |
| Dotted Checkerspot (Poladryas arachne) | POLARA |
| Northern Checkerspot (Chlosyne palla) | CHLPAL |
| Rockslide Checkerspot (Chlosyne whitneyi) | CHLWHI |
| Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) | CHLNYC |
| Gorgone Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone) | CHLGOR |
| Pale Crescent (Phyciodes pallida) | PHYPAL |
| Vesta Crescent (Phyciodes vesta) | PHYVES |
| Bates' Crescent (Phyciodes batesii) | PHYBAT |
| Field Crescent (Phyciodes pratensis) | PHYPRA |
| Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta) | PHYCOC |
| Satyr Comma (Polygonia satyrus) | POLSAT |
| Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis) | POLGRA |
| Green Comma (Polygonia faunus) | POLFAU |
| Gray Comma (Polygonia oreas nigrozephyrus) | POLORE |
| ***California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica) | NYMCAL |
| Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) | NYMANT |
| Milbert's Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis milberti) | NYMMIL |
| Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) | VANATA |
| Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) | VANCAR |
| West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella) | VANANN |
| American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) | VANVIR |
| Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) | JUNCOE |
| Weidemeyer's Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii) | LIMWEI |
| Common Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia ochracea) | COETUL |
| Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala) | CERPEG |
| Small Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis oetus) | CEROET |
| Canyonland Satyr (Cyllopsis pertepida) | CYLPER |
| Riding's Satyr (Neominois ridingsii) | NEORID |
| Common Alpine (Erebia epipsodea) | EREEPI |
| Magdalena Alpine (Erebia magdalena) | EREMAG |
| Callias Alpine (Erebia callias) | ERECAL |
| Chryxus Arctic (Oeneis chryxus) | OENCHR |
| Melissa Arctic (Oeneis melissa) | OENMEL |
| Monarch (Danaus plexippus) | DANPLE |
| ***Queen (Danaus gilippus) | DANGIL |
| Skipper Family | |
| Mexican Cloudywing (Thorybes mexicana) | THOMEX |
| Persius Duskywing (Erynnis persius) | ERYPER |
| Dreamy Duskywing (Erynnis icelus) | ERYICE |
| Pacuvius Duskywing (Erynnis pacuvius) | ERYPAC |
| Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis) | ERYFUN |
| Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus centaureae) | PYRCEN |
| Two-banded Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus ruralis) | PYRRUR |
| Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis) | PYRCOM |
| Russet Skipperling (Piruna pirus) | PIRPIR |
| Bronze Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes aenus) | AMBAEN |
| Common Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis) | AMBVIA |
| Garita Skipperling (Oarisma garita) | OARGAR |
| Morrison's Skipper (Stinga morrisoni) | STIMOR |
| Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado) | HESCOL |
| Juba Skipper (Hesperia juba) | HESJUB |
| Nevada Skipper (Hesperia nevada) | HESNEV |
| Uncas Skipper (Hesperia uncas) | HESUNC |
| Draco Skipper (Polites draco) | POLDRA |
| Tawny-edged Skipper (Polites themistocles) | POLTHE |
| Long Dash (Polites mystic) | POLMYS |
| Sonora Skipper (Polites sonora) | POLSON |
| Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides) | OCHSYL |
| Snow's Skipper (Paratrytone snowi) | PARSNO |
| Taxiles Skipper (Poanes taxiles) | POATAX |
| Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris) | EUPVES |
| *Species recorded by John and Grace Sperry in Rocky Mountain National Park (1929-31), but specimens not seen (possibly in American Museum of Natural History). | |
| **Type locality purportedly in park, but probably erroneous. | |
| ***Species recorded by Phillip C. Ritterbush in Rocky Mountain National Park (1955-1956), but specimens not seen. | |
Butterflies whose occurrence may be expected in the park
-
Indra Swallowtail (Papilio
indra)
Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
Lilac-edged Copper (Lycaena nivalis)
Edith's Copper (Lycaena editha)
Bronze Copper (Lycaena hyllus)
Striped Hairstreak (Sayrium liparops)
Sylvan Hairstreak (Satyrium sylvinus)
Great-spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Hydaspe Fritillary (Speyeria hydaspe)
Sagebrush Checkerspot (Chlosyne acastus)
Edith's Checkerspot (Euphydryas editha)
Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum)
Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
Theano Alpine (Erebia theano)
Uhler's Arctic (Oeneis uhleri)
Jutta Arctic (Oeneis jutta)
Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)
Martial Duskywing (Erynnis martialis)
Afranius Duskywing (Erynnis afranius)
Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
Pahaska Skipper (Hesperia pahaska)
Sachem (Atalopedes campestris)
Oslar's Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes oslari)
Reported erroneously from the park:
-
White-veined Arctic (Oeneis
bore)
References
Bagdonas, K. 1982. Butterflies and moths of Rocky Mountain National Park and
vicinity. Unpublished manuscript submitted to RMNP.
Bray, Richard. 1996. 1996 Season Summary, Rocky Mountain National Park Butterfly
Project. Unpublished report to RMNP.
Bray, Richard. 1997. 1997 Season Summary, Rocky Mountain National Park Butterfly
Project. Unpublished report to RMNP.
Bray, Richard. 1998. 1998 Season Summary, Rocky Mountain National Park Butterfly
Project. Unpublished report to RMNP.
Bray, Richard. 1999. 1999 Season Summary, Rocky Mountain National Park Butterfly
Project. Unpublished report to RMNP.
Cary, Margaret M. 1928. List of butterflies caught in the Long's Peak Region--
July 20-26, 1928. Unpublished report to RMNP.
Glassberg, J., editor. 1995. Checklist and English Names of North American
Butterflies. North American Butterfly Association, Morristown, N.J.
Opler, Paul A. 1999. Field Guide to Western Butterflies. Houghton Mifflin Co.,
Boston.
Ritterbush, Phillip C. 1972. Butterflies of Rocky Mountain National Park,
Colorado, Checklist and Summary, 1955 and 1956. The Mid-Continent
Lepidoptera Series., Vol. 4, No. 50:1-12.
Simonson, S. 1998. Rapid Assessment of Butterfly Diversity: A method for
Landscape Evaluation. Masters Thesis, Department of Bioagricultural
Sciences, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins.
Sperry, Grace H. and John L. Sperry. 1931. A Checklist of the Butterflies of
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado--1929, 1930, 1931. Unpublished
report to RMNP.
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