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Making America's Best Idea Even Better
Lava Beds National MonumentDouble-Tailed Swallowtail Butterfly
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Lava Beds National Monument
Butterflies
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Sue Anderson

Becker's White

Becker’s White (Pontia beckerii)

 

·         Peak flying months are May and August.

·         Caterpillar host-plants include a wide variety of native and non-native plants in the mustard family, such as the native western tansy mustard and the non-native tumble mustard.

·         Can commonly be seen throughout Lava Beds, including the Indian Well Campground.

 
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Sue Anderson

Large Marble

Large Marble (Euchloe ausonides)

 

·         Peak flying months are May and June.

·         Caterpillar host-plants include a wide variety of native and non-native plants in the mustard family, such as the native western tansy mustard and the non-native tumble mustard.

·         Can occasionally be seen throughout Lava Beds, including the Indian Well Campground.

 
Square-spotted Blue

Square-spotted Blue

Square-spotted Blue

(Euphiloides battoides)

  • Flies late March through early August, peak in May and June.
  • Caterpillars feed on sulphur-flower buckwheat.
  • Can commonly be seen in the southern portion of Lava Beds, including the Indian Well Campground.
 
Two-tailed Swallowtail

Sophia Kast

Two-tailed Swallowtail

  • Two-tailed Swallowtail

(Papilio multicaudata)

  • Flies late March through mid September, peak in June.
  • Caterpillars feed on western chokecherry.
  • Can commonly be seen in any part of Lava Beds, particularly the southern portion (including the Indian Well Campground), and on hilltops and cave entrances or lave tube collapses.
 
Northern Checkerspot

Jennifer Tiehm

Northern Checkerspot

Northern Checkerspot

(Chlosyne palla)

  • Flies late March through early August, peak in June and July.
  • Caterpillars feed on green rabbitbrush.
  • Can be seen in great abundance in the southern portion of Lava Beds, including the Indian Well Campground.
 
Lorquin's Admiral

Jennifer Thiem

Lorquin's Admiral

  • Lorquin’s Admiral

(Limenitis lorquini)

  • Flies mid February through early October, peaks in June, July and August.
  • Caterpillars feed on western chokecherry and bittercherry.
  • Can commonly be seen throughout Lava Beds, including the Indian Well Campground.
 
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Anna Iwaki

Queen Alexandra's Sulphur

Queen Alexandra’s Sulphur

(Colias Alexandra)

 

·         Peak flying month is July.

·         Caterpillar host-plants include several species of milkvetches.

·         Can occasionally be seen throughout Lava Beds, particularly along the north boundary.

 
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Jennifer Thiem

Tailed Copper

Tailed Copper (Lycaena arota)

 

·         Peak flying month is July.

·         Caterpillar host-plants include desert gooseberry and wax current.

·         Can commonly be seen throughout Lava Beds, including the Indian Well Campground.

 
Great Purple Hairstreak

David Hays

Great Purple Hairstreak

Great Purple Hairstreak

(Atlides halesus)

  • Flies early April through early October, peak in July and August.
  • Caterpillars feed on juniper mistletoe.
  • Can occasionally be seen in the southern portion on Lava Beds, including the Indian Well Campground.
 
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Sue Anderson

Brown Elfin

Brown Elfin (Callophrys augustinus)

 

·         Peak flying month is May.

·         Caterpillar host-plants include a large variety of plants, such as manzanita, antelope bitterbrush, big sagebrush, and sulphur-flower buckwheat.

·         Can occasionally be seen in the southern portion of Lava Beds.

 
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NPS

Zerene Fritillary

Zerene Fritillary (Speyeria zerene)

 

·         Peak flying month is July.

·         Caterpillar host-plants include goosefoot violet.

·         Can commonly be seen throughout Lava Beds, including the Indian Well Campground.

 
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Dave Hays

California Tortoiseshell

California Tortoiseshell

(Nymphalis californica)

 

·         Peak flying months are May and August.

·         Caterpillar host-plants include snowbrush ceanothus.

·         Can commonly be seen throughout Lava Beds, particularly in the southern portion.

 
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Jennifer Tiehm

Great Basin Wood-nymph

Great Basin Wood-nymph

(Cercyonis sthenele)

 

·         Peak flying months are July and August.

·         Caterpillar host-plants include various native bunchgrasses.

·         Can commonly be seen throughout Lava Beds, including the Indian Well Campground.

 
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Jennifer Tiehm

Juba Skipper

Juba Skipper (Hesperia juba)

 

·         Peak flying months are May and September.

·         Caterpillar host-plants include various native bunchgrasses.

·         Can commonly be seen throughout Lava Beds, including the Indian Well Campground.
Sickle-pod rockcress  

Did You Know?
Sickle-pod rockcress (Arabis sparsiflora) is a common spring flower in rocky areas of the monument. It gets its name from the long, curved, sickle shaped seed pods that form along the flower stalk as its blooms mature.

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Last Updated: August 01, 2009 at 14:50 EST