Denali's Butterflies

NPS Photo

 

Denali National Park and Preserve is home to diverse array of plant life. These plants rely on pollinators to reproduce. Pollinators stop by in search of nectar and other rewards. Along their journey, they collect and deposit pollen from plant to plant and aid the reproduction process.

There are over 50 species of butterflies in Denali, making them an important part of the ecosystem. We can thank them, along with the many other pollinators in Alaska, for the colorful displays of wildflowers in the spring, and the wealth of berries in the fall.

Learn more about pollination in Denali with this interactive story map.

Denali Butterfly Species List

 

 

Skippers (Hesperiidae)
	Arctic skipper Carterocephalus palaemon
	Common branded skipper Hesperia comma
	Grizzled skipper Pyrgus centaureae

 

Blues, coppers, hairstreaks (Lycaenidae)
	Northern azure Celastrina lucia
	Western tailed-blue Cupido amyntula
	Silvery blue Glaucopsyche lygdamus
	Dorcas copper Lycaena dorcas
	American copper Lycaena phlaeas
	Arctic blue Plebejus glandon
	Northern blue Plebejus idas
	Cranberry blue Plebejus optilete
	Greenish blue Plebejus saepiolus

 

Brush-footed butterflies (Nymphalidae)
	Alaskan fritillary Boloria alaskensis
	Arctic fritillary Boloria chariclea
	Bog fritillary Boloria eunomia
	Freija fritillary Boloria freija
	Dingy fritillary Boloria improba
	Polaris fritillary Boloria polaris
	Silver-bordered fritillary Boloria selene
	Common ringlet Coenonympha tullia
	Disa alpine Erebia disa
	Red-disked alpine Erebia discoidalis
	Banded alpine Erebia fasciata
	Lafontaine's alpine Erebia lafontainei
	Mt. McKinley alpine Erebia mackinleyensis
	Taiga alpine Erebia mancinus
	Eskimo alpine Erebia occulta
	Yellow-dotted alpine Erebia pawloskii
	Ross' alpine Erebia rossii
	Four-dotted alpine Erebia youngi
	White admiral Limenitis arthemis
	Mourning cloak Nymphalis antiopa
	White-veined arctic Oeneis bore
	Jutta arctic Oeneis jutta
	Melissa arctic Oeneis melissa
	Polixenes arctic Oeneis polixenes
	Field crescent Phyciodes pulchella
	Green comma Polygonia faunus
	Hoary comma Polygonia gracilis

 

Swallowtails, parnassians (Papilionidae)
	Canadian tiger swallowtail Papilio canadensis
	Old World swallowtail Papilio machaon
	Eversmann's parnassian Parnassius eversmanni
	Phoebus parnassianhespe Parnassius phoebus

 

Whites, sulphurs, yellows (Pieridae)
	Canadian sulphur Colias canadensis
	Giant sulphur Colias gigantea
	Hecla sulphur Colias hecla
	Labrador sulphur Colias nastes
	Palaeno sulphur Colias palaeno
	Clouded sulphur Colias philodice
	Margined white Pieris marginalis complex
	Western white Pontia occidentalis