Butterflies Occurring in the DC Area

Dear Butterfly Community — Many of us were saddened by the untimely passing of Dick Smith, who curated these pages so I could share them with a broader public, in the summer of 2016.  We’re still working on ways to update these records; in the meantime if you have questions or suggestions please contact me at rborchelt@gmail.com.

Butterflies Occurring in the DC Area
by Richard H. Smith

Richard H. (Dick) Smith has produced this comprehensive listing of the resident and annually migrating and immigrant butterflies of the Washington, DC area. Dick considers this list to be an accurate and realistic representation of what most butterfly enthusiasts, with some luck and perseverance over a period of several years, could actually find in the DC area at the present time.

Additional lists are also given for those species that have historical records in the Washington, DC area but which are considered to be either accidental, stray, or currently extirpated from this area and therefore are very unlikely (but not impossible) to be seen in this area again.

For the purposes of this list, Dick is defining the D.C. Area as the District of Columbia and its adjacent counties and municipalities, which are Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties in Maryland, Arlington and Fairfax Counties in Virginia, and Alexandria City.

Species name is linked to the species pages on Butterflies and Moths of North America.

SPREAD-WING SKIPPERS

Species	Occurrence Level	Flight Time
Silver-spotted Skipper	Abundant	May through September
Long-tailed Skipper	Rare	Sept., Oct.
Hoary Edge	Uncommon	June
Southern Cloudywing	Uncommon	June, Aug.
Northern Cloudywing	Uncommon	May, June
Hayhurst’s Scallopwing	Uncommon	June, Aug.
Dreamy Duskywing	Common	April, May, June
Sleepy Duskywing	Rare	April
Juvenal’s Duskywing	Abundant	April, May
Horace’s Duskywing	Common	May, Aug., Sept.
Wild Indigo Duskywing	Common	May, June, Aug.
Common Checkered-Skipper	Uncommon	April, Sept.
Common Sootywing	Common	June, Aug.

GRASS SKIPPERS

Species	Occurrence Level	Flight Time
Swarthy Skipper	Uncommon	May, Aug., Sept.
Clouded Skipper	Uncommon	Aug., Sept.
Least Skipper	Common	May, June, Sept., Oct.
European Skipper	Uncommon, Specialized Habitat	June
Fiery Skipper	Uncommon	Aug., Sept.
Leonard’s Skipper	Rare, Specialized Habitat	Sept.
Cobweb Skipper	Rare, Specialized Habitat	May
Peck’s Skipper	Common	May, Aug., Sept.
Tawny-edged Skipper	Uncommon	June, Aug.
Crossline Skipper	Common	June, July, Aug.
Southern Broken-Dash	Rare	June, Sept.
Northern Broken-Dash	Common	May, Aug.
Little Glassywing	Common	June, Aug.
Sachem	Abundant	July, Aug., Sept.
Delaware Skipper	Rare	June, Aug.
Mulberry Wing	Rare, Specialized Habitat	July
Hobomok Skipper	Uncommon	May, June
Zabulon Skipper	Common	May, June, Aug.
Broad-winged Skipper	Uncommon, Specialized Habitat	June, Sept.
Dion Skipper	Uncommon, Specialized Habitat	June, July
Dun Skipper	Common	June, July, Aug.
Dusted Skipper	Rare, Specialized Habitat	May
Pepper and Salt Skipper	Rare, Specialized Habitat	May
Common Roadside-Skipper	Rare	May, Aug.
Ocola Skipper	Uncommon	July, Sept.

SWALLOWTAILS

Species	Occurrence Level	Flight Time
Pipevine Swallowtail	Uncommon	Aug., Sept.
Zebra Swallowtail	Common	April, June, Sept.
Black Swallowtail	Common	May, July, Aug., Sept.
Giant Swallowtail	Rare, Specialized Habitat	May, June, Aug.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail	Abundant	April through September
Spicebush Swallowtail	Common	May, July, Aug., Sept.

WHITES AND SULPHURS

Species	Occurrence Level	Flight Time
Checkered White	Rare	June, Sept.
Cabbage White	Abundant	March through October
Falcate Orangetip	Uncommon, Specialized Habitat	April, May
Clouded Sulphur	Abundant	March through November
Orange Sulphur	Abundant	March through November
Cloudless Sulphur	Rare	Sept.
Little Yellow	Rare	Aug., Sept.
Sleepy Orange	Rare	Sept.
Dainty Sulphur	Rare	Late June to late October

HARVESTER, COPPERS, HAIRSTREAKS, AND BLUES

Species	Occurrence Level	Flight Time
Harvester	Rare, Specialized Habitat	May, Aug.
American Copper	Common, Specialized Habitat	May, June, Aug., Sept.
Coral Hairstreak	Uncommon, Specialized Habitat	June, July
Banded Hairstreak	Uncommon	June, July
Striped Hairstreak	Rare	June, July
Red-banded Hairstreak	Common	May, June, Aug.
Juniper (Olive) Hairstreak	Uncommon	April, May, July
Brown Elfin	Rare	April, May
Frosted Elfin	Rare	April, May
Henry’s Elfin	Rare	April, May
Pine Elfin	Uncommon	April, May, June
‘Northern’ Oak Hairstreak	Rare, Specialized Habitat	June
White M Hairstreak	Rare	April, June, Aug., Sept.
Gray Hairstreak	Common	April through September
Eastern Tailed-Blue	Abundant	April through October
Spring Azure	Abundant	March, April
Summer Azure	Common	May through September
American Holly Azure	Uncommon, Specialized Habitat	April, May
Appalachian Azure	Rare, Specialized Habitat	May

BRUSH-FOOTED BUTTERFLIES

Species	Occurrence Level	Flight Time
Variegated Fritillary	Uncommon	May through October
Great Spangled Fritillary	Common	June through September
Meadow Fritillary	Uncommon, Specialized Habitat	April, June, Aug., Sept.
Silvery Checkerspot	Uncommon, Specialized Habitat	June, Aug.
Pearl Crescent	Abundant	May through November
Baltimore Checkerspot	Uncommon, Specialized Habitat	June
Question Mark	Common	April, Aug., Sept.
Eastern Comma	Common	April, Aug., Sept.
Mourning Cloak	Common	March, April, May, June, Sept.
American Lady	Common	April, May, June, Sept.
Painted Lady	Uncommon	April, May, Aug., Sept.
Red Admiral	Common	May, June, Aug., Sept.
Common Buckeye	Common	May, Aug., Sept., Oct.
Red-spotted Purple	Common	June, Aug., Sept., Oct.
White Admiral	Rare	June, July, Aug., Sept.
Viceroy	Common	June, Aug., Sept., Oct.

SNOUTS

Species	Occurrence Level	Flight Time
American Snout	Uncommon	May, June, July, Sept.

HACKBERRY BUTTERFLIES

Species	Occurrence Level	Flight Time
Hackberry Butterfly	Uncommon	June, Aug.
Tawny Emperor	Uncommon, Specialized Habitat	June, Aug.

SATYRS AND WOOD NYMPHS

Species	Occurrence Level	Flight Time
Northern Pearly Eye	Uncommon, Specialized Habitat	June, July, Aug.
Appalachian Brown	Uncommon, Specialized Habitat	June, Aug.
Little Wood Satyr	Common	May, June, July
Common Wood Nymph	Common, Specialized Habitat	July, Aug.

MILKWEED BUTTERFLIES

Species	Occurrence Level	Flight Time
Monarch	Common	April through October

ACCIDENTAL¹ OR POSSIBLY STRAY² BUTTERFLY SPECIES

The Little Metalmark record is from the 1950’s. The Zebra Heliconian and Queen are relatively recent.

Species	Scientific Name
Little Metalmark	Calephelis virginiensis
Zebra Heliconian	Heliconius charithonius
Queen	Danaus gilippus

STRAY² BUTTERFLY SPECIES

Species	Scientific Name
Palamedes Swallowtail	Papilio palamedes
Large Orange Sulphur	Phoebis agarithe
Barred Yellow	Eurema daira
Great Purple Hairstreak	Atlides halesus
Gulf Fritillary	Agraulis vanillae
Diana	Speyeria diana
Gray Comma	Polygonia progne
Compton Tortoiseshell	Nymphalis vaualbum
Gemmed Satyr	Cyllopsis gemma
Carolina Satyr	Hermeuptychia sosybius
Zarucco Duskywing	Erynnis zarucco
Persius Duskywing	Erynnis persius
Indian Skipper	Hesperia sassacus
Whirlabout	Polites vibex
Aaron’s Skipper	Poanes aaroni
Eufala Skipper	Lerodea eufala
Twin-spot Skipper	Oligoria maculata
Brazilian Skipper	Calpodes ethlius

¹The Accidental category indicates species whose natural ranges are considerably outside the DC area, they are not known to stray widely, and thus their record in the DC area was probably due to their accidental introduction or to their escape from an enclosed local live display.

²The Stray category indicates species that are not resident nor known to migrate or immigrate regularly into the DC area, but which are known to have occasional isolated records considerably outside of their normal ranges, including at least one record in the DC area.

SPECIES CURRENTLY BELIEVED TO BE EXTIRPATED FROM THE DC AREA

This list is a result of recent evaluations of all DC area butterfly records. Species included in this list were once resident in the DC area, but no new reports have been logged for them in the DC area within at least the past 15 years.

Species	Scientific Name
Bronze Copper	Lycaena hyllus
Edwards’ Hairstreak	Satyrium edwardsii
Hickory Hairstreak	Satyrium caryaevorum
Aphrodite Fritillary	Speyeria aphrodite
Regal Fritillary	Speyeria idalia
Silver-bordered Fritillary	Boloria selene
Tawny Crescent	Phyciodes batesii
Golden-banded Skipper	Autochton cellus
Confusing Cloudywing	Thorybes confusis
Mottled Duskywing	Erynnis martialis
Grizzled Skipper	Pyrgus centaureae
Black Dash	Euphyes conspicua
Two-spotted Skipper	Euphyes bimacula

REFERENCES:

Clark, Austin H. 1932. The butterflies of the District of Columbia and vicinity. U.S. National Museum Bulletin No. 157. 337pp.

Clark, Austin H. and Clark, Leila F. 1951. The Butterflies of Virginia. Smithsonian Misc. Colls., Vol. 116, No. 7. 239pp.

Durkin, Pat and Denise Gibbs (2003), “The Butterflies and Skippers of Rock Creek National Park (Washington, DC) Sighted During Monthly Flying Season Surveys: April through September 2002 and Early April 2003,” sponsored by Rock Creek Park, National Park Service, 3545 Williamsburg Lane, NW, Washington, DC 20008.

Fales, John H. (March 1987), “The Butterflies of Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C.,” The Maryland Naturalist (The Natural History Society of Maryland), Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 5-24.

Fales, John H. and William R. Grooms (August 1980), “Notes on Butterfly Collecting in Maryland in 1979,” Maryland Entomologist (Maryland Entomological Society), Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 12-13.

Fales, John H. 1974 (December). Check-list of the skippers and butterflies of Maryland. Chesapeake Science (continued as journal Estuaries starting in 1978; published by the Estuarine Research Federation, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677) 15(4): 222-229.

Garland, Mark S (1995) (unpublished), “Great Falls Butterfly Survey 1994-1995, Great Falls National Park, Virginia,” sponsored by Great Falls Park, National Park Service, c/o Turkey Run Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway, McLean, VA 22101.

Lepidopterists Society Field Season Summaries (published annually by The Lepidopterists’ Society, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, CA 90007) for Maryland and Virginia from 1978 through the most recent summary.

Opler, Paul A. (February 1982), “Butterflies and Skippers of the Washington, DC Area,” Office of Endangered Species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240.

Opler, Paul A., Kelly Lotts, and Thomas Naberhaus, coordinators. 2010. Butterflies and Moths of North America. Bozeman, MT: Big Sky Institute. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/

Orr, Richard L. (January 23, 2001), “The Dragonflies and Damselflies (Insecta:Odonata) of the Aquatic Gardens, Kenilworth Marsh, Kingman Lake/Marsh, National Arboretum and the Anacostia River from New York Avenue south to Benning Bridge (Washington, D.C.) (With notes on butterflies and other natural history observations),” Contract # 031000, The Nature Conservancy, Maryland/DC Field Office, 5410 Grosvenor Lane Suite 100, Bethesda, MD 20814.

Smith, Richard H., personal field notes and also records reported to him by fellow lepidopterists, MD-DC-NoVA area, for period 1973 to the present, 5213 Eliot’s Oak Rd., Columbia, MD 21044.

Smith, Richard H. (December 31, 2007), “Butterfly Survey of the Northeastern Sites of National Capital Parks-East (NACE), Final Report,” NACE Order No.: P3502060200, Study No. NACE-00050, sponsored by National Capital Parks – East, National Park Service, 1900 Anacostia Dr., SE, Washington, DC 20020.

Wagner, Warren H., Jr. 1941. District of Columbia butterfly notes (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera). Entomological News (published by the Academy of Natural Sciences, Phila., PA 19103) 52(7): 196-200 and 52(9): 245-249.

[February 2015]