Maine Butterfly Survey

 

 

 

 

Maine Butterfly Distributions by Township

Select the common name to view a distribution map of each species in Maine by township.  Explanations of record types follow:

Confirmable Records: These are records based on a specimen (voucher) or a photograph. Only records of a species with a photograph that clearly show all the characters required to identify the individual to species were used in this study. Confirmable records include both recent and historical (prior to 1974; see below) material. Photographic records of species that require examination of genitalia or close examination of color patterns of the upper and lower surfaces for proper identification to species were not included in this study (e.g. Papilio glaucus, Phyciodes tharos, and many skippers). 

Unconfirmable Records: These are records for which no specimens exist or the location of specimens is not known. Included in this category are the following types of records: Sight Records. This represents an observation of a species by a qualified observer. Only species where field identification to species is clearly possible and where all important field characters were visible to the observer are included. Species that require examination of genitalia or close examination of color patterns of upper and lower surfaces, and or antennae for identification to species were not used as sight records in this study (e.g. Papilio glaucus, Phyciodes tharos, and many skippers). Handled Records. This represents an observation of a species by a qualified observer where the specimen was collected, examined to properly determine it to species, and then released. Species that require examination of genitalia for determination to species (some Erynnis species) were not included as handled records in this study. Literature Records. These are records published in the literature where the location of the specimens is not known. Correspondence Records. These are records based on correspondence, such as letters to the Lepidopterists Society Zone Coordinators giving data for inclusion in the Season Field Summary (often only a fraction of the data included in many correspondences is actually published in the field summaries).

Historical Records: These include both confirmable and unconfirmable records of species occurrences prior to 1974. This is the date of the most recent and comprehensive annotated checklist of the butterflies of Maine by Brower (1974). As defined, all records that are over 30 years old are thus considered historical. 

Recent Records: These include all confirmed records of species occurrences from 1974 to 2011.  

Scientific Name

Subspecies

Common Name

 

 

 

Family Hesperiidae

 

Skippers

Epargyreus clarus (Cramer)

 

Silver-spotted Skipper

Thorybes pylades (Scudder) 

 

Northern Cloudywing

Thorybes bathyllus (J. E. Smith)

 

Southern Cloudywing

Erynnis icelus (Scudder & Burgess)

 

Dreamy Duskywing

Erynnis brizo (Boisduval & LeConte)

 

Sleepy Duskywing

Erynnis juvenalis (Fabricius)

 

Juvenal’s Duskywing

Erynnis baptisiae (Forbes) Wild Indigo Duskywing

Erynnis persius (Scudder)

 

Persius Duskywing

Pholisora catullus (Fabricius)

 

Common Sootywing

Carterocephalus palaemon (Pallas)

mandon (W. H. Edwards)

Arctic Skipper

Ancyloxypha numitor (Fabricius)

 

Least Skipper

Thymelicus lineola (Ochsenheimer)

 

European Skipper

Hesperia comma (Linnaeus)

laurentina (Lyman)

Laurentian Skipper

Hesperia leonardus Harris

 

Leonard’s Skipper

Hesperia metea Scudder

 

Cobweb Skipper

Hesperia sassacus Harris

 

Indian Skipper

Polites peckius (W. Kirby)

 

Peck’s Skipper

Polites themistocles (Latreille)

 

Tawny-edged Skipper

Polites origines (Fabricius)

 

Crossline Skipper

Polites mystic (W. H. Edwards)

 

Long Dash Skipper

Wallengrenia egeremet (Scudder)

 

Northern Broken Dash

Pompeius verna (W. H. Edwards)

 

Little Glassywing Skipper

Anatrytone logan (W. H. Edwards)

 

Delaware Skipper

Poanes hobomok (Harris)

 

Hobomok Skipper

Poanes massasoit Mulberry Wing

Poanes viator (W. H. Edwards)

zizaniae (Shapiro)

Broadwinged Skipper

Euphyes bimacula (Grote & Robinson)

 

Two-spotted Skipper

Atryonopsis hianna (Scudder) Dusted Skipper

Euphyes vestris (Boisduval)

metacomet (Harris)

Dun Skipper

Amblyscirtes hegon (Scudder)

 

Pepper & Salt Skipper

Amblyscirtes vialis (W. H. Edwards)

 

Common Roadside Skipper

 

 

 

Family Papilionidae

 

Swallowtails

Battus philenor (Linnaeus)

 

Pipevine Swallowtail

Papilio polyxenes Fabricius

asterius (Stoll)

Black Swallowtail

Papilio glaucus Linnaeus

 

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Papilio canadensis Rothschild & Jordan

 

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail

Papilio troilus Linnaeus

 

Spicebush Swallowtail

Papilio cresphontes Cramer

 

Giant Swallowtail

Papilio brevicauda Saundersgaspeensis McDunnough Short-tailed Swallowtail

 

 

 

Family Pieridae

 

Sulphurs & Whites

Pontia protodice (Boisduval & LeConte)

 

Checkered White

Pieris rapae (Linnaeus)

 

Cabbage White

Pieris oleracea Harris

 

Mustard White

Colias philodice Godart

 

Clouded Sulphur

Colias eurytheme (Boisduval)

 

Alfalfa Butterfly

Colias eurytheme x philodice Hybrid Sulfur

Colias interior Scudder

 

Pink-edged Sulphur

Phoebis sennae (Linnaeus)

 

Cloudless Sulphur

Phoebis philea (Linnaeus)

 

Orange-barred Sulphur

Phoebis agarithe Boisduval

 

Large Sulphur

Pyrisitia lisa (Boisduval & LeConte)

 

Little Sulphur

 

 

 

Family Lycaenidae

 

Hairstreaks, Blues, Coppers, & Harvesters

Subfamily Miletinae

 

Harvesters

Feniseca tarquinius (Fabricius)

 

Harvester

 

 

 

Subfamily Lycaeninae

 

Hairstreaks, Blues, & Coppers

Lycaena phlaeas (Linnaeus)

hypophlaeas Boisduval; not americana Harris (See Emmel & Pratt 1998)

American Copper

Lycaena hyllus (Cramer)

 

Bronze Copper

Lycaena epixanthe (Boisduval & LeConte)

 

Bog Copper

Lycaena dorcas (W. Kirby)

claytoni Brower

Clayton’s Copper

Callophrys hesseli (Rawson & Ziegler)

 

Hessel’s Hairstreak

Callophrys gryneus (Hübner)

 

Olive Hairstreak

Callophrys augustinus (Westwood)

 

Brown Elfin

Callophrys polios (Cook & Watson)

 

Hoary Elfin

Callophrys irus (Godart)

 

Frosted Elfin

Callophrys henrici (Grote & Robinson)

 

Henry’s Elfin

Callophrys lanoraieensis (Sheppard)

 

Bog Elfin

Callophrys niphon (Hübner)

clarki (T. N. Freeman)

Eastern Pine Elfin

Callophrys eryphon (Boisduval)

 

Western Pine Elfin

Satyrium titus (Fabricius)

 

Coral Hairstreak

Satyrium acadica (W. H. Edwards)

 

Acadian Hairstreak

Satyrium edwardsii (Grote & Robinson)

 

Edward's Hairstreak

Satyrium calanus (Hübner)

falacer (Godart)

Banded Hairstreak

Satyrium liparops (LeConte)

strigosum (Harris)

Striped Hairstreak

Strymon melinus (Hübner)

 

Grey Hairstreak

Erora laeta (W. H. Edwards)

 

Early Hairstreak

Cupido comyntas (Godart)

 

Eastern Tailed Blue

Cupido amyntula (Boisduval)

maritima (LeBlanc)

Western Tailed Blue

Celastrina  ladon (Cramer) (High Bush Blueberry Associate) Spring Azure
Celastrina  ladon (Cramer) (Bog Associate) Spring Azure

Celastrina neglecta (W. H. Edwards)

 

Summer Azure

Celastrina serotina (Pavulaan & Wright) Cherry Gall Azure

Glaucopsyche lygdamus (Doubleday)

couperi Grote

Silvery Blue

Plebejus idas (Linnaeus)

empetri (T. N. Freeman)

Crowberry Blue

Plebejus melissa (W. H. Edwards)

samuelis Nabokov

Karner Blue

Plebejus saepiolus (Boisduval)

amica (W. H. Edwards)

Greenish Blue

 

 

 

Family Nymphalidae

 

Brushfoots, Monarchs, Satyrs

Subfamily Libytheinae

 

Snouts

Libytheana carinenta (Cramer)

bachmanii (Kirtland)

Eastern Snout

 

 

 

Subfamily Danainae

 

Monarchs or Milkweed Butterflies

Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus)

 

Monarch

 

 

 

Subfamily Heliconiinae

 

Fritillaries

Euptoieta claudia (Cramer)

 

Variegated Fritillary

Speyeria cybele (Fabricius)

 

Great Spangled Fritillary

Speyeria aphrodite (Fabricius)

 

Aphrodite Fritillary

Speyeria idalia (Drury)

 

Regal Fritillary

Speyeria atlantis (W. H. Edwards)

 

Atlantis Fritillary

Boloria eunomia (Esper)

dawsoni (Barnes & McDunnough)

Bog Fritillary

Boloria selene (Denis & Schiffermüller)

Two poorly differentiated subspecies occur in Maine; myrina (Cramer) in the southwest, and atrocostalis (Huard) in the north.  A broad blend zone occurs across central Maine.

Silver-bordered Fritillary

Boloria bellona (Fabricius)

 

Meadow Fritillary

Boloria frigga (Thunberg)

saga (Staudinger)

Frigga Fritillary

Boloria chariclea (Schneider)

grandis (Barnes & McDunnough)

Purple Lesser Fritillary

 

 

 

Subfamily Nymphalinae

 

Checkerspots, Tortoiseshells, Commas, & Ladies

Chlosyne nycteis (Doubleday)

 

Silvery Checkerspot

Chlosyne harrisii (Scudder)

 

Harris’s Checkerspot

Phyciodes tharos (Drury)

 

Pearl Crescent

Phyciodes cocyta (Cramer)

 

Northern Pearl Crescent

Phyciodes batesii (Reakirt)

 

Tawny Crescent

Euphydryas phaeton (Drury)

 

Baltimore Checkerspot

Junonia coenia Hübner

 

Common Buckeye

Polygonia interrogationis (Fabricius)

 

Question Mark

Polygonia comma (Harris)

 

Eastern Comma

Polygonia satyrus (W. H. Edwards)

 

Satyr Comma

Polygonia faunus (W. H. Edwards)

 

Green Comma

Polygonia gracilis (Grote & Robinson)

 

Hoary Comma

Polygonia progne (Cramer)

 

Grey Comma

Nymphalis vaualbum (Dennis & Schiffermüller)

 

Compton Tortoiseshell

Nymphalis milberti (Godart)

 

Milbert’s Tortoiseshell

Nymphalis antiopa (Linnaeus)

 

Mourning Cloak

Vanessa atalanta (Linnaeus)

 

Red Admiral

Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus)

 

Painted Lady

Vanessa virginiensis (Drury)

 

American Lady

Limenitis arthemis (Drury)

The northern limit of the blend zone between the subspecies L.a. astyanax (Fabricius) (Red Spotted Purple) and L. arthemis occurs in southwestern Maine where some individuals may show reduced white banding on the wings and rare individuals may closely resemble the Red Spotted Purple phenotype. 

White Admiral  

 

Red Spotted Purple

 

Red Spotted Purple / White Banded Intermediate

Limenitis archippus (Cramer)

 

Viceroy

 

 

 

Subfamily Satyrinae

 

Satyrs & Arctics

Enodia anthedon A. H. Clark

 

Northern Pearly-Eye

Satyrodes eurydice (Linnaeus)

 

Eyed Brown

Satyrodes appalachia (R. L. Chermock)

 

Appalachian Brown

Megisto cymela (Cramer)

 

Little Wood Satyr

Coenonympha tullia (Hübner)

inornata W. H. Edwards

Inornate Ringlet

Cercyonis pegala (Fabricius)

In southwestern Maine is subspecies alope (Fabricius), which has a well-developed yellowish to orange patch on the forewing. In northern Maine is subspecies nephele (Kirby), which lacks the forewing patch.   A broad blend zone occurs between these two subspecies in southern and coastal Maine as far east as Calais producing phenotypes of intermediate appearance.

Common Wood Nymph

alope phenotype

nephele phenotype

intermediate phenotype

Oeneis jutta (Hübner)

ascerta (Masters & Sorensen)

Jutta Arctic

Oeneis polixenes (Fabricius)

katahdin (Newcomb)

Katahdin Arctic

 

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