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Common Name, Scientific name Abundance by Month Some Larval Host Plants Common Name, Scientific name Abundance by Month Some Larval Host Plants
  M A M J J A S O (over-wintering form)   A M A M J J A S O (over-wintering form)
Skippers (Family Hesperiidae)   Whites and Sulfurs (Family Pieridae)
  Northern Cloudywing, Thorybes pylades                 legumes (L)   Spring White, Pontia sisymbrii                   mustard family (P)
  Acacia Skipper, Cogia hippalus                 acacias   Checkered White, Pontia protodice                   mustard family (P)
  Arizona Skipper, Codatractus arizonensis                   Creamy Marblewing, Euchloe lotta                
  Gold-head Scallopwing, Staphylus ceos                   Desert Orangetip, Anthocharis cethura                
  Ariz. Powdered-skipper, Systasea zampa                 mallows   Thoosa Orangetip, Anthocharis thoosa                  
  Sleepy Duskywing, Erynnis brizo                 various oaks (P)                  
  Rocky Mtn. Duskywing, E. telemachus                 Gambel's oak (P)                  
  Meridian Duskywing, E. meridianus                 oaks   Clouded Sulphur, Colias philodice                   clovers, legumes (L)
  Mournful Duskywing, E. tristis tatius                 oaks   Orange Sulphur, Colias eurytheme                   alfalfa, legumes (L)
  Funereal Duskywing, Erynnis funeralis               legumes (R)   Southern Dogface, Zerene cesonia                   legumes (R)
  Desert  Check'd Skipper, Pyrgus philetas     Lyside Sulphur, Kricogonia lyside                
  White Check'd-skipper, Pyrgus albescens                 mallows   Cloudless Suphur, Phoebis sennae                 legumes (R)
  Common Streaky Skipper, Celotes nessus                 Ayenia sp.   Mexican Yellow, Eurema mexicana                   legumes (R)
  Common Sootywing, Pholisora catullus                 goosefoots (L)   Sleepy Orange, Eurema nicippe                   cassias (R)
                    Dainty Sulphur, Nathalis iole                   aster family (R)
  Orange Skipperling, Copaeodes aurantiacus                 grasses                   
  Pahaska Skipper, Hesperia pahaska                 grasses (L)                  
  Sachem, Atalopedes campestris                 grasses (R)                  
  Viereck's Skipper, Atrytonopsis vierecki                 grasses                   
  White-barred Skipper, A. pittacus                 grasses                   
  Bronze R'dside-Skipper, Amblyscirtes aenus                 grasses  Gossamer-Wings (Family Lycaenidae)                
  Eufala Skipper, Lerodea eufala                 grasses (R)   Great Purple Hairstreak, Atlides halesus                  
  Aryxna Giant Skipper, Agathymus aryxna                
agave
  Leda Ministreak, Ministrymon leda                  
                    Juniper Hairstreak, Callophrys gryneus                   junipers (P)
                    Sandia Hairstreak, Sandia mcfarlandi                  
  Swallowtails (Family Papilionidae)   Gray Hairstreak, Strymon melinus                   wide variety (P)
  Pipevine Swallowtail, Battus philenor                 pipevine                    
  Polydamas Swallowtail, B. polydamas   pipevine (R)                    
  Black Swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes                 carrot family (P)                    
  Two-Tailed Tiger, Papilio multicaudata                 hoptree, velvet ash (P)   Western Pygmy-blue, Brephidium exilis                
  Giant Swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes                 hoptree (R)   Marine Blue, Leptotes marina                   legumes (R)
                    Southern Blue, Hemiargus ceraunus                  
 
                  Reakirt's Blue, Echinargus isola                   legumes (R)
                    Spring Azure, Celastrina ladon                   deciduous shrubs (P)
                    Acmon (Lupine) Blue, Plebejus acmon                   buckwheats, legumes (L)
                                     
                                     
                                     
                                     
                   
                   
                   
Common Name, Scientific name Abundance by Month Some Larval Hosts
  M A M J J A S O (Over-wintering form)
Metalmarks (Family Riodinidae)
  Mormon Metalmark, Apodemia mormo                 buckwheats (L)
  Palmer's Metalmark, A. palmeri                 mesquite (?)   CHECKLIST of BUTTERFLIES
                 
                 
                  for
                    Rockhound State Park,
Brushfoots (Family Nymphalidae)
  Snout, Libytheana bachmanii                 hackberry (R)   including Florida and Little Florida Mtns.
  Monarch, Danaus plexippus                 milkweeds (M)
  Queen, Danaus gilippus                 milkweeds (R) Luna County, New Mexico
  Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae                 passionvine (R)
  Variegated Fritillary, Euptoieta claudia                 violets (R)
  Theona Checkerspot, Thessalia theona                 paintbrushes (L)
  Fulvia Checkerspot, Thessalia fulvia                 paintbrushes (L)
  Sunflower Patch, Chlosyne lacinia                 sunflowers
  Tiny Checkerspot, Dymasia dymas                
  Elada Checkerspot, Texola elada                
  Texas Crescent, Phyciodes texana                
  Mylitta Crescent, Phyciodes mylitta                 thistles (L) This list of species and relative abundances is based on field work by Steven J.
  Painted Crescent, Phyciodes pictus   Cary and colleagues.   It follows the nomenclature of Opler and Warren (2002). <1
  Satyr Comma, Polygonia satyrus                    
  Mourning Cloak, Nymphalis antiopa                 willows (A) Abundance information is presented here only as a guide.  Butterfly numbers
  American Lady, Vanessa virginiensis                 everlastings (A) vary considerably from year to year, due primarily to variations in weather. 
  Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui                 thistles (R) This key assumes a 2-hour visit to suitable habitat at a suitable time of day
  West Coast Lady, Vanessa annabella                 mallow family (A) during suitable weather conditions in a year with average precipitation.
  Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta                 stinging nettle (A) Number of butterflies 0  1-5  5-20 >20
  Common Buckeye, Junonia coenia                 monkeyflowers (R) Symbol        
  Dark Buckeye, J. evarete nigrosuffusa                
  Red-spotted Admiral, Limenitis arthemis                 willows Butterflies respond to habitat through plants they eat as larvae and through
  California Sister, Adelpha bredowii                 oaks (L) flower nectar they consume as adults.  Larvae of many butterfly species eat
  Goatweed Leafwing, Anaea andria                 crotons (A) specific plants.  Larval host plant information is provided here based on the
  Hackberry Emperor, Asterocampa celtis                 hackberry (L) work of Scott (1986), Opler & Wright (1999), Ferris and Brown (1981), and others.
  Empress Leilia, Asterocampa leilia                 desert hackberry
         
 
      Most local butterfly species are residents that spend their entire lives here. 
  Pictures are:                 To do so, each survives winter in a preferred life stage (E=egg, L=larva, P=
  Orange skipperling                 pupa, A=adult).  Subtropical species are killed by winter conditions and must
  Gold-headed scallopwing                 re-colonize when conditions permit (R=re-colonist).  The Monarch escapes
  Pipevine swallowtail                 winter cold via a unique, round-trip migration to Mexico (M=migrant).
  Desert orange tip                 Designed by Stephen Fettig
  Great purple hairstreak                 Compiled by Steven J. Cary
  Southern blue                 Cost of printing was provided by a grant from:
  Morman metalmark & California Sister                 KEEP NEW MEXICO Beautiful, INC.