![]() | Bill Williams RiverButterflies |
Butterflies at Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Arizona. Published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Butterflies
Bill Williams River
National Wildlife Refuge
Butterflies at Bill Williams River NWR
The Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge supports the last and largest
remnant of the native riparian habitats
that once filled the valleys of the lower
Colorado River and its tributaries. These
now unique habitats support many butterfly species. A total of 34 species have
been documented in the refuge, 11 (32%)
of which were found only here in a recent
study (Nelson and Andersen 1998). One
species, MacNeill’s sootywing skipper, is
of some concern to conservationists due
to its rarity. The larvae apparently only
feed on one species of saltbush (Atriplex lentiformis), a native shrub of the
lower Colorado River valley. Wiesenborn
(1997) often observed adults flying between the saltbush and honey mesquite
(Prosopis glandulosis).
Scientific name
Common name
Swallowtails (Papilionidae)
Papilio polyxenes
Black Swallowtail
Papilio Zelacaon
Zelacaon Swallowtail
Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
Pontia protodice
Checkered White
Colias eurytheme
Orange (Alfalfa) Sulphur
Phoebis sennae
Cloudless Sulphur
Eureme nicippe
Sleepy Orange (Nicippe Yellow)
Nathalis iole
Dainty Sulphur
Great Purple Hairstreak
Gossamer-winged Butterflies
(Lycaenidae)
Atlides halesus
Great Purple Hairstreak
Strymon melinus
Gray Hairstreak
Metalmarks (Riodinidae)
Calephelis nemesis
Fatal Metalmark
Ministrymon leda
Leda Ministreak
Apodemia mormo
Mormon Metalmark
Brephidium exile
Pygmy Blue
Apodemia palmeri
Palmer’s Metalmark
Leptotes marina
Marine Blue
Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)
Libytheana carinenta
Snout Butterfly
Hemiargus ceraunus
Cerannus Blue
Hemiargus isola
Reakirt’s Blue
Calephelis wrighti
Wright’s Metalmark
Euptoieta claudia
Variegated Fritillary
Nymphalis antiopa
Mourning Cloak
Vanessa (Cynthia) cardui
Painted Lady
Vanessa atalanta
Red Admiral
References
Levy, J. N. 1996. Pers.comm.
Milne, L and M. Milne. 1980. Audubon
Society Field Guide to North American
Insects and Spiders. Alfred Knopf, N.Y.
988 pgs.
Nelson, S. M. and D. C. Anderson.
1998. Butterfly (Papilionoidea and
Hesperioidae) communities associated
with some natural and altered riparian
habitats along the lower Colorado River.
Technical Memorandum No. 8220-98-3.
32 pgs.
Tilden, J. W. and A. C. Smith. 1986. A
Field Guide to Western Butterflies.
Houghton Mifflin, Boston. 370 pgs.
Wiesenborn, W. D. 1997. Hesperopsis
gracielae (MacNeill) (Lepidoptera:
Hesperiidae) flight between hostplants
and Prosopis glandulosa Torrey. PanPacific Entomologist 73(3):186-189.
Common buckeye.
Jumonia coenia
Common Buckeye
Hylephila phyleus
Fiery Skipper
Limenitis arthemis
Red Spotted Purple
Lerodea eufala
Euphala Skipper
Limenitis (Basilarchia) archippus
Viceroy
Danaus plexippus
Monarch
Danaus gilippus
Queen
Skippers (Hesperiidae)
Erynnis funeralis
Funereal Duskywing
Pyrugus scriptura
Small Checkered Skipper
Pyrgus communis (Grote)
Common Checkered Skipper
Heliopetes ericetorum
Northern White-Skipper
Hesperopsis gracielae (MacNiell)
MacNiell’s Sootywing Skipper
Copaedes aurantiacus
Orange Skipperling
Viceroy.