Butterflies of Arkansas |
For a printable two page pdf format version of this checklist on the web click here. This version below updated 23 Feb 2017
Format: Abundance (Flight months) (Region) Host Plant #’s A (1-12) (A-E) 1-68 Abundance codes: A=Abundant U=Uncommon C=Common R=RareF=Fairly Common V=Vagrant
Abundances may vary locally and ratings are average for the state. An L is added to the abundance on highly fluctuant local species.
Regional codes correspond to these rough districts:
A Ozarks and the Northwest B Ark River Valley from Ft. Smith to Russellville to Little Rock C Ouachita Mountains and the southwest Gulf Coastal plain D Northeast, mix of east Ozarks, some Delta & Crowley’s Ridge E Majority of Delta region and the southeast counties.
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Species with no regional bracket entry can be found statewide.
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Family: Hesperiidae Silver-spotted Skipper C (3-12) 54,1,2,3,4 Long-tailed Skipper U (7-9) (B-E) 1,2,3 Dorantes Longtail V (7) (C) 1,3 Golden Banded-Skipper LR (5-9) (A-D) 2 Hoary Edge LC (4-10) (A-D) 3,11 Southern Cloudywing F (4-9) 1,3,28 Northern Cloudywing LC (4-9) 1,3,28,29 Confused Cloudywing U (5-9) 1 Outis Skipper V (A) 4 Hayhurst’s Scallopwing LU (4-9) 5 Sickle-winged Skipper V (A) Horace’s Duskywing LC (3-10) 8 Sleepy Duskywing F (3-5) 8 Dreamy Duskywing LU (4-6) (AB) 54,7,6 Mottled Duskywing LU (4-7) (A-C) 9 Juvenal’s Duskywing C (2-5) 8,34 Zarucco Duskywing V (AC) 1,54 Funereal Duskywing LU (5-11) 29 Persius Duskywing R (AB) 1,7,6 Wild Indigo Duskywing F (3-9) 11,41* Common Checkered-Skipper F (2-4,6-11) 12 Tropical Checkered-Skipper V (B) 12 Desert Checkered-Skipper V (A) Northern White-Skipper V (C) 12 Common Sootywing LU (4-9) 5 Swarthy Skipper LF (5-10) 14 Clouded Skipper LC (5-11) 13 Least Skipper LC (5-11) 13,15,24* Orange Skipperling V (B) 13 Southern Skipperling R (4-9) (BCD) 13 Fiery Skipper LA (5-11) 19,24*,13 Leonard’s Skipper U (8-10) (AB) 15,13 Cobweb Skipper LR (4,5) 14 Meske’s Skipper LR (5,6,8-10) (ABDE) 14 Peck’s Skipper V (A) 24*,13 Tawny-edged Skipper C (4-10) 15,24*,13 Crossline Skipper LF (5-10) 14,16 Whirlabout LU (5-11) (B-E) 19,13 Southern Broken-Dash LC (5-10) 21,13 Northern Broken-Dash U (6-9) 15,13 Little Glassywing LF (5-9) 16 Sachem LA (4-11) 19, 21,13 Arogos Skipper V (A) 14 Delaware Skipper LF (5-9) 13,14 Byssus Skipper LC (5-9) 14, 24 Hobomok Skipper U (5-7) (ABD) 15, 24* Zabulon Skipper LC (4-9) 16,13 Yehl Skipper LU (5-10) 18 Broad-winged Skipper LC (5-10) (C-E) 62,15 Dion Skipper F (6-9) 17 Dukes’ Skipper LU (5-9) 17 Dun Skipper LC (4-10) 17 Dusted Skipper LU (4,5) 14 Pepper and Salt Skipper LU (4-7) 20,24*,13 Linda’s Roadside-Skipper LR (4-9) (ABD) 20,13 Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper U (4-9) 18 Carolina Roadside-Skipper LR (4,7-9) (A) 18 Nysa Roadside-Skipper V (A) 21,13 Common Roadside-Skipper LU (4-8) 20,24* Bell’s Roadside-Skipper F (4-9) 20 Dusky Roadside-Skipper R (3-8) (C) 13 Eufala Skipper U (6-10) 19,13 Brazilian Skipper LU (9-10) (B-E) 61 Ocola Skipper U (6-11) 13 Yucca Giant-Skipper R (3,4) (BCE) 63 Family: PapilionidaePipevine Swallowtail C (3-11) 66 Polydamas Swallowtail V (ACD) 66 Zebra Swallowtail LC (3-8) 64 Black Swallowtail C (2-9) 22,23* Ozark Swallowtail R (4-9) (AD) 23 Giant Swallowtail C (3-9,11) 60,65 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail A (2-10) 25, ++ Spicebush Swallowtail A (3-10) 26,67 Palamedes Swallowtail V (AB) Family: PieridaeFlorida White V (A) Checkered White LC (1-9,12) 27 Cabbage White F (3-12) 27 Great Southern White V (B) Olympia Marble LF (3-5) (A-C) 27 Falcate Orangetip LC (2-5) 27 Clouded Sulphur F (3-11) 28,29 Orange Sulphur A (1-12) 29,41*,11
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Southern Dogface LF (2-10) 1,29 Cloudless Sulphur A (2-12) 30 Mexican Yellow V (ABC) 1,4 Orange-barred Sulphur V (AD) 30 Large Orange Sulphur V (ABC) 1 Barred Yellow V (BD) 1 Little Yellow C (4-11) 30,2 Sleepy Orange C (2-12) 30 Dainty Sulphur LC (1,2,4-12) 31 Family: LycaenidaeHarvester LU (3-8) 68 American Copper R (4-9) (ABD) 32 Bronze Copper LR (5-11) (DE) 32 Great Purple Hairstreak U (2-10) 33 Coral Hairstreak LC (5-9) (A-D) 25 Edwards' Hairstreak LR (5,6) (ABD) 8 Banded Hairstreak LC (5-7) 8,34 Hickory Hairstreak U (5-7) (AD) 34 King’s Hairstreak LR (5,6) (BCE) 35 Striped Hairstreak U (5,6) 25 Red-banded Hairstreak C (3-11) 10 Juniper Hairstreak F (3-9) 38 Frosted Elfin U (3,4) (BC) 11 Henry’s Elfin F (2-5) 36,25,9* Eastern Pine Elfin LF (3-6) 37 Oak Hairstreak U (5,6) 8 White M Hairstreak R (2-10) 8 Gray Hairstreak LA (3-11) ++ Western Pygmy-Blue R (6-9) (AB) Cassius Blue V (D) 1 Marine Blue V (ABD) 1 Ceraunus Blue V (C) 1 Reakirt’s Blue U (4-10) (A-D) 1 Eastern Tailed-Blue A (3-11) 1,3 Spring Azure F (3-7) Summer Azure LC (3-10) Appalachian Azure LR (5) (A) 39 Dusky Azure R (4,5) (AC) 40 Silvery Blue LU (3-5) (A-C) 41 Family: RiodinidaeSwamp Metalmark LR (6,8,9) (A) 43* Northern Metalmark LR (5,6,8) (ABD) 42 Family: NymphalidaeAmerican Snout F (1-12) 44 Gulf Fritillary F (5-12) 45 JuliaV (B) 45ZebraV (A) 45Variegated Fritillary A (3-12) 46,45 Diana Fritillary LU (5-10) 46 Great Spangled Fritillary LC (5-10) (A-D) 46 Regal Fritillary R (6-9) (A) 46 Bordered Patch V (AC) 56 [2007] Gorgone Checkerspot LF (4-7) 55 Silvery Checkerspot F (4-8) 59,55,56* Phaon Crescent LC (5-10) 47 Pearl Crescent A (3-11) 56 Baltimore Checkerspot LU (6,7) (A) 48*,51* Question Mark LA (1-12) 49*,44,57 Eastern Comma LF (2-12) 57*,49* Gray Comma U (3,7-10) (AD) 50 Mourning Cloak F (2-6,9-11)7,6,57,44 Milbert’s Tortoiseshell V (A) 49* Painted Lady F (3-11) 43 + American Lady LA (3-11) 58 Red Admiral C (3-12) 49 Common Buckeye LA (2-12) 51*,48 Common Mestra V (C) [2007] Red-spotted Admiral C (3-10) 25,6,7 Viceroy F (4-10) 7,6 Family: ApaturidaeGoatweed Leafwing LC (1-12) 52 Hackberry Emperor LA (5-9) 44 Tawny Emperor F (5-9) 44 Family: SatyridaeSouthern Pearly-eye LU (4-9) 18 Northern Pearly-eye LF (5-9) 13,20 Creole Pearly-eye LR (5-9) 18 Appalachian Brown LR (5-9) (DE) 17 Gemmed Satyr F (3-10) 13 Carolina Satyr F (4-10) 19,13 Helicta/Georgia Satyr R (5-9) (CE) 17 Little Wood-Satyr A (4-8) 13 Common Wood-Nymph LA (6-10) 14,16,13 Family: DanaidaeMonarch C (4-11) 53 Queen V (AB) 53 |
Important Host Plants
Butterflies are strongly linked to their host plants. Host plants being the larval food plant of the species caterpillar. Some larva use only a single or a few species. Others, such as the Gray Hairstreak, use a huge variety of plants. Some species are almost always found associated with the key food plants and others wander widely as adults to nectar on flowering species that may not be related to the host plant. Some species, like Pearly-eyes, never nectar at flowers but of course do have a larval food plant. The list below is focused on plant species which occur in Arkansas and on plants associated with the larvae in the wild and not in laboratories.
Not all hosts for each species are given. The first number after each butterfly is usually the major foodplant. Asterisks (such as 43*) show food use of only the asterisk marked species on that numbered line. A ++ mark after a butterfly entry denotes wide usage of many plant species. A + mark inside the plant brackets signifies additional species or genera not listed. Note that the Harvester butterfly larvae feed on aphids. The aphid bearing plants are given on that species.
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1. Legumes (Fabaceae) 2. Hog Peanut (Amphicarpa bracteata) 3. Tick trefoils (Desmodium) 4. Acacia (Acacia angustissima) 5. Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) 6. Poplar (Populus alba,heterophylla,deltoides) 7. Willows (Salix nigra,sericea,discolor,exigua,caroliniana) 8. Oaks (Quercus) 9. New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus, Rhamnus*) 10. Sumac (Rhus copallina,aromatica) 11. Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis) 12. Mallows (Abutilon,Anoda,Hibiscus,Modiola,Sida) 13. Grasses (Poaceae) 14. Bluestems (Andropogon gerardii,scoparius,virginicus) 15. Panic grass (Panicum) 16. Tridens (Tridens flavus) 17. Sedges (Carex hyalinolepis,stricta,+) 18. Cane (Arundinaria) 19. Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon) 20. Inland Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) 21. Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) 22. Umbels (Daucus,Cicuta,Conium,Angelica) 23. Umbels (Thaspium barbinode*,Taenidia*,Zizia aurea) 24. Bluegrass & Gama Grass (Tripsacum, Poa pratensis*) 25. Cherry (Prunus serotina,americana,virginiana,+) 26. Laurels (Sassafras albidum, Lindera benzoin) 27. Crucifers (Brassica,Lepidium,Arabis,Cardamine) 28. Clover (Trifolium repens,pratense) 29. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa, lupulina) 30. Partridge Pea, Senna (Chamaecrista,Senna) 31. Composites (Dyssodia,Bidens,Cosmos ) 32. Dock (Rumex acetosella,crispus,verticillatus,obtusifolius) 33. Mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum) 34. Hickory (Carya glabra,ovata,cordiformis) 35. Sweetleaf (Symplocos tinctoria) 36. Redbud (Cercis canadensis) 37. Pine (Pinus echinata) 38. Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) 39. Cohosh & Viburnum (Cimicifuga racemosa, Viburnum acerifolium) 40. Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus) 41. Vetch & Crown Vetch (Vicia villosa,caroliniana, Coronilla*) 42. Ragwort (Senecio obovatus) 43. Thistles (Cirsium arvense,muticum*,vulgare,altissimum*) 44. Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis,laevigata,tenuifolia) 45. Passion Vine (Passiflora lutea,incarnata*) 46. Violets (Viola pedatifida,lanceolata,pedata,rafinesquii,+ ) 47. Fogfruit (Phyla lanceolata,nodiflora) 48. Plantain (Plantago lanceolata*,rugellii,major,hookeriana) 49. Nettles (Urtica dioica*, urens) 50. Currants (Ribes missouriense) 51. Gerardia (Aureolaria grandiflora*,flava,pedicularia) 52. Goatweed (Croton capitatus,monanthogynus) 53. Milkweeds (Asclepias amplexicaulis,syriaca,incarnata,+) 54. Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) 55. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus, petiolaris,divaricatus) 56. Asters (Aster umbellatus*,novae-angliae,laevis,pilosus,+) 57. Elms (Ulmus americana*,rubra,pumila) 58. Rabbit Tobacco, Pussytoes (Gnaphalium, Antennaria) 59. Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) 60. Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum americanum,clavaherculis) 61. Canna & Thalia (Canna generalis,Thalia) 62. Common Reed (Phragmites australis) 63. Yucca (Yucca arkansana,louisianensis,smalliana,glauca) 64. Pawpaw (Asimina parviflora, triloba) 65. Hop Tree (Ptelea trifoliata) 66. Pipevine (Aristolochia serpentaria,reticulata,tomentosa) 67. Red Bay (Persea borbonia) 68. Aphids on (Alnus,Ilex,Fraxinus,Fagus,Acer,Smilax)
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