1964
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
47
had all been in large plants, but in 1961 all were in medium-sized plants.
This presents an interesting field project for someone to determine why
the food plants used are large one year and small another.
Agathymus indecisa (Butler & Dmce) : This species is reported from
southern Mexico southward to Panama. Several years ago specimens of
this species were secured by the U. S. National Museum, Washington,
D. C. William D. Field advises us that these specimens were from
Costa Rica with the notation "Food-plant - cabuya leaves." Furcraea
cabuya Trelease is a plant closely related to the Agave. It was first
described from San Ramon, Costa Rica, and is commonly called "Central
American sisal".
OCCURRENCE OF CERTAIN RHOPALOCERA
IN OREGON AND WASHINGTON
by
E.
J.
NEWCOMER
1509 Summitview, Yakima, Wash., U. S. A.
The writer has done extensive collecting in Oregon and Washington
for six seasons, principally east of the Cascade Mountains, and has been
regional coordinator for the Northwest for the Season's Summary for
1961, 1962 and 1963, issued in the News of the Lepidopterists' Societu.
A considerable number of records which seem wOlth publishing has
therefore accumulated.
CoUas nastes Bdv. was reported from Washington (the first record
for the United States) at Bunker Hill Lookout in Okanogan County by
Shepard (1962), and it has also been taken on Windy Peak by Dan
Carney and David McCorkle in 1962 and 1963. Both localities are within
five miles of the Canadian Boundary and are at elevations of 7,000-8,000
feet.
Danaus plexippus L. is quite scarce in Washington. The writer collected
in Yakima County during 1957 to 1960 without seeing it. Then it was
taken in Cottonwood Canyon in August 1961 and seen there in 1962
but not in 1963. Specimens taken were quite fresh, so it evidently breeds
here, and milkweed is common. It has been reported from the adjoining
Benton County and in one or two other places in Washington, and has
been seen occasionally at various localities in eastern Oregon.
N eominois ridingsii Edw. was taken by the writer on August 3, 1963,
at 8,000 feet on Drake Peak, Lake County, Oregon. Four specimens were
48
NEWCOMER:
Northwest butterflies
Vo1.l8: no.l
taken and others seen on a grassy slope at about timberline. This seems
to be the first record for Oregon. It probably occurs on other high peaks
of the Warner Mountains in southern Oregon and northeastern California,
and might also be in the Steens Mountains.
Polygonia fauntts Edw. is common in Yakima County, Washington,
and elsewhere in the Northwest at elevations of ~3,500 to 6,500 feet.
Dos Passos and Ehrlich (in Ehrlich & Ehrlich, 1961: p.l49) say: "west to
northern California."
Limenitis archippus Cram. occurs somewhat sparingly in the lower
Yakima Valley of Washington. The caterpillars have been found there
on willows. John C. Hopfinger used to take it on Okanogan County,
Washington, and David L. Bauer has reported it from Morrow County,
Oregon.
Limenitis bredowii Geyer. The writer has taken this in southern
Oregon, and Stanley G. Jewett has reported its occurrence near Portland.
It may even occur in southwestern Washington, altho there are no definite
records.
Chrysophanus titus F. was fairly common along the west side of Summer Lake, Lake County, Oregon, in August 1962. It occurs sparingly
elsewhere in eastern Oregon and Washington.
Sat9rium fuliginosurn Edw. The writer has taken this at Juniper
Flat, Wasco County, in June, on Mt. Ashland, Jackson County, and at
Drews Creek, Lake County, in July, all in Oregon. Clench (in Ehrlich
& Ehrlich, 1961: p. 192) says: "strangely unreported from Oregon."
Sat9rium behrii Edw. Records in addition to those published include
Camp Sherman, Jefferson County, Davis Lake and Pringle Falls,
Deschutes County, Skookum Meadow, Klamath County, and Silver
Lake and Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge, Lake County, all in Oregon
and all in July. So it is evidently fairly well distributed in that state.
It is not nearly as common, however, as in Yakima County, Washington,
where it is the most numerous theclid.
Satyrium sylvinus Bdv. Clench (in Ehrlich & Ehrlich, 1961: p. 195)
says: "north possibly to Washington." It has not been seen in Oregon,
but is found in Yakima County, Washington, where it is very common in
restricted areas near willows. It has also been reported from near
Wenatchee (Leighton, 1946), and Jones (1951) reports it from British
Columbia.
Callophrys spinetorum Hew. Clench (in Ehrlich and Ehrlich, 1961:
p. 207) says: "unreported from Oregon." The writer has it from Clackamas Lake, Clackamas County, from Big Summit Prairie and the Maury
Mountains, Crook County, from Skookum Meadow and Miller Creek,
Klamath County, and from Quartz Mountain, Lake County, all in Oregon,
1964
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
49
collected in June and July. It is never common anywhere.
Callophrys johnsoni Skinner. Dornfeld (1959) reported that this
species had been taken at Tombstone Prairie and Lost Prairie, Linn
County, Oregon in 1959. The writer has collected at both places in
July 1960, and several times in June and July 1961, 1962 and 1963, but
has found no trace of it. As far as can be learned, no one else has taken
it in these localities since 1959.
Lycaena cup reus Edw. has been taken in Oregon, at Gilchrist by
Dornfeld, and at Skookum Meadow, Klamath County, and Big Summit
Prairie, Crook County, by the writer. It occurs in British Columbia,
according to Jones (1951), but curiously has apparently never been
taken in Washington.
Lycaena editha Mead is very common in the Ochoco Mountains, Crook
County, and also occurs in Wheeler, Grant, Lake and Lane Counties, and
probably elsewhere, all in Oregon.
Plebejus shasta Edw. The writer has taken it in July at Cannon Well
and Skookum Meadow, Klamath County, at Pringle Falls and Cultus
Creek, Deschutes County, and on Drake Peak, Lake County, all east of
the Cascades in Oregon.
Plebejus saepiolus Bdv. The range given by Downey (in Ehrilich &
Ehrlich, 1961: p. 233) does not indicate this species west of the Rocky
Mountains. It is quite common in various localities in Oregon and
Washington. Specifically, it has been taken in Linn, Deschutes, Klamath,
Lake and Crook Counties in Oregon; and in Okanogan, Chelan and
Yakima Counties in Washington. Usually the females are the dark form
which was named "rufescens" by Boisduval. Also, of course, it is common
in California.
Apodemia mormo F. & F. Ehrlich and Ehrlich (1961) say: "exact
northern limits in Great Basin need clarification." Opler and Powell
( 1961) have recently published a study of this species in which they
record it from Okanogan, Kittitas and Yakima Counties in Washington.
John C. Hopfinger told the writer once that it used to be very numerous
in the vicinity of Brewster in Okanogan County. It is very common in
several parts of Yakima County. On September 1, 1962, for example,
35 of the butterflies were counted feeding on the blossoms of a single
Rabbit Brush plant (Chrysothamnus nauseous) near Tampico. It has
also been reported from the Spokane area (Leighton, 1946), and David
L. Bauer mentions taking it at Heppner, Morrow County, Oregon.
Heliopetes ericetorum Bdv. is sometimes described as an inhabitant
of the Southwest. Holland (1931) says it "occurs in southern California,
Arizona and Mexico." Comstock (1927) says "it ranges through the
mountains of the southern half of the state" (California). Dyar (1902)
50
NEWCOMER:
Northwest butterflies
Vo1.l8: no.1
does give its range as "Pacific States." Jones (1951) does not list it for
British Columbia. It does occur in Kittitas and Yakima Counties in
Washington, and is usually rather scarce. But in 1960 it was very
numerous and was ovipositing on the Globe Mallow (Iliamna rivularis).
Leighton (1946) has reported it also from Okanogan, Pend d'Oreille
and Whitman Counties, and Robert E. Miller has it from Dayton,
Columbia County. David L. Bauer (Season Summary, 1962) reports it
from Morrow County, Oregon. Since it flies in these localities from
June to September, there are probably two broods.
Atrytone vestris Bdv. Comstock (1927) says this may occasionally
be taken in California. The writer has a single specimen taken at Bird
Creek, Yakima County, Washington, June 26, 1959.
Amhl~scirtes vial is Edw. is found in northeastern California, according
to Comstock (1927). The writer has not seen it there nor in Oregon
but it is not uncommon in Yakima County, Washington, in June and
has been reported from Mason County, in western Washington.
Pholisora libya Scud. The writer took what is probably this species
at Ana Springs, Lake County, Oregon, on July 29, 1961, and also July
30 to August 3, 1963. It was fairly common on the blossoms of rabbit
brush. Dornfeld has reported taking one specimen in the Steens Mts.,
Harney County, Oregon; and the writer took one in Surprise Valley,
Modoc County, California, July 31, 1963.
Polites sabuleti Bdv. occurs late in the summer on lawns and in
gardens in Yakima and nearby towns. It has not been seen in the country.
The subspecies tecumseh Grin. occurs in Jefferson and Klamath Counties
in Oregon.
References
Comstock, John Adams, 1927. Butterflies of California. 334 pp., 63 pis. Published hy the Author.
Dornfeld, Ernst J., 1959. Mitoura iohnsoni in Oregon and California. journ. lepid.
soc. 13: 183.
Dyar, Harrison G., 1902. A list of North American Lepidoptera. Bull. U. S. nat.
mus. 52: 723 pp.
Ehrlich, Paul R., & Anne H. Ehrlich, 1961. How to know the butte1flies. 262
pp. Wm. C. Brown Co., Dubuque, Iowa.
Holland, W . J., 1931. Butterfly book, rev. ed. 424 pp., 77 pis. Doubleday & Co.,
Inc., Garden City, N. Y.
Jones, J. R. J. Llewellyn, 1951. An annotated check list of the macrolepidoptera of
British Columbia. Occ. papers ent. Soc. Brit. Columbia 1: 148. pp.
Leighton, Ben V., 1946. The butterflies of Washington. Univ. Wash~ngton publ.
bioi. 9: 49-63.
Opler, Paul, & Jerry A. Powell, 1961. Taxonomic and distributional studies on
the western components of the Apodemia mormo complex (Riodinidae). journ.
lepid. soc. 15: 145-171.
Sheparcl, Jon, 1962. Thc first record of Colias nastes in the United States (Pieridae).
]oltrn. lepid. soc. 16: 46.