Kern River Preserve Butterfly Checklist

Butterflies of the South Fork Valley

from Canebrake to the Kern River Preserve

Found in northeastern Kern County, the South Fork Kern River Valley is located between the protective reaches of the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Piute Mountains. This unique region contains three of the ten floristic provinces in North America. These unique factors contribute to amazing diversity of all life forms. Fifty-three species have been documented in the South Fork Valley. The South Fork of the Kern River contains the finest, contiguous, native riparian forest in California.

Common Name	Scientific Name
Swallowtails	Family Papilionidae
Subfamily Papilioninae
Anise Swallowtail	Papilio zelicaon
Western Tiger Swallowtail	Papilio rutulus
Whites and Sulphurs	Family Pieridae
Subfamily Pierinae
Becker's White	Pontia beckerii
Checkered White	Pontia protodice
Cabbage White	Pieris rapae
Sara Orange-tip	Anthocharis sara
Subfamily Coliadinae
Orange Sulphur	Colias eurytheme
Gossamer-wing Butterflies	Family Lycaenidae
Subfamily Lycaeninae
Tailed Copper	Lycaena arota
Great Copper	Lycaena xanthoides
Purplish Copper	Lycaena helloides
Subfamily Theclinae
Great Purple Hairstreak	Atlides halesus
California Hairstreak	Satyrium californica
Sylvan Hairstreak	Satyrium sylvinus
Hedgerow Hairstreak	Satyrium saepium
Gray Hairstreak	Strymon melinus
Subfamily Polyommatinae
Marine Blue	Leptotes marina
Western Pygmy-Blue	Brephidium exilus
Inyo Mountains Blue	Euphilotes bernardino
Ceraunus Blue	Hemiargus ceraunus
San Emigdio Blue	Plebejus emigdionis
Acmon Blue	Plebejus acmon
Brush-footed Butterflies	Family Nymphalidae
Subfamily Nymphalinae
Field Crescent	Phyciodes pulchella
Mylitta Crescent	Phyciodes mylitta
Chalcedon Checkerspot	Euphydryas chalcedona
Satyr Anglewing	Polygonia satyrus
California Tortoiseshell	Nymphalis californica
Mourning Cloak	Nymphalis antiopa
Milbert's Tortoiseshell	Nymphalis milberti
American Painted Lady	Vanessa virginiensis
Painted Lady	Vanessa cardui
West Coast Lady	Vanessa annabella
Red Admiral	Vanessa atalanta
Common Buckeye	Junonia coenia
Subfamily Limenitidinae
Lorquin's Admiral	Limenitis lorquini
California Sister	Adelpha bredowii
Subfamily Satyrinae
California Ringlet	Coenonympha california
Subfamily Danainae
Monarch	Danaus plexippus
Queen	Danaus gilippus
Skippers	Family Hesperiidae
Subfamily Pyrginae
Hammock Skipper	Polygonus leo
Propertius Duskywing	Erynnis propertius
Mournful Duskywing	Erynnis tristis
Funereal Duskywing	Erynnis funeralis
White Checkered-Skipper	Pyrgus albescens
Northern White Skipper	Heliopetes ericetorum
Subfamily Hesperiinae
Fiery Skipper	Hylephila phyleus
Alkali Skipper	Pseudocopaeodes eunus
Juba Skipper	Hesperia juba
Western Branded Skipper	Hesperia comma
Sachem	Atalopedes campestris
Sandhill Skipper	Polites sabuleti
Woodland Skipper	Ochlodes sylvanoides
Umber Skipper	Poanes melane
Eufala Skipper	Lerodea eufala

Alison Sheehey prepared this information from field records of Ken Davenport, author of "Butterflies of Kern and Tulare Counties, California", Gillette Museum, Colorado State University. Photos from Alison Sheehey's collection and from pinned specimens donated to the Kern River Preserve by Ken Davenport.

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This site was created on October 21, 1998. Please Email to make comments or offer suggestions.