Maine Species List

Checklist and breeding status of Maine butterflies. Common names are linked to images made available on the internet by the Massachusetts Butterfly Club, Montana State University's Big Sky Institute, BugGuide.net, and Nearctica.com. Species added to the state list during the survey are in bold, red text.

Scientific Name	Subspecies	Common Name	Residency Status¹	Conservation Status²

Family Hesperiidae		Skippers
Epargyreus clarus (Cramer)		Silver-spotted Skipper	BR
Thorybes pylades (Scudder)		Northern Cloudywing	BR
Thorybes bathyllus (J. E. Smith)		Southern Cloudywing	BR or RS	SC
Erynnis icelus (Scudder & Burgess)		Dreamy Duskywing	BR
Erynnis brizo (Boisduval & LeConte)		Sleepy Duskywing	BR	T
Erynnis juvenalis (Fabricius)		Juvenal’s Duskywing	BR
Erynnis baptisiae (Forbes)		Wild Indigo Duskywing	BR
Erynnis persius (Scudder)		Persius Duskywing		EXT
Pholisora catullus (Fabricius)		Common Sootywing	BR or RS
Carterocephalus palaemon (Pallas)	mandon (W. H. Edwards)	Arctic Skipper	BR
Ancyloxypha numitor (Fabricius)		Least Skipper	BR
Thymelicus lineola (Ochsenheimer)		European Skipper	BR
Hesperia comma (Linnaeus)	laurentina (Lyman)	Laurentian Skipper	BR
Hesperia leonardus Harris		Leonard’s Skipper	BR	SC
Hesperia metea Scudder		Cobweb Skipper	BR	SC
Hesperia sassacus Harris		Indian Skipper	BR
Polites peckius (W. Kirby)		Peck’s Skipper	BR
Polites themistocles (Latreille)		Tawny-edged Skipper	BR
Polites origines (Fabricius)		Crossline Skipper	BR
Polites mystic (W. H. Edwards)		Long Dash Skipper	BR
Wallengrenia egeremet (Scudder)		Northern Broken Dash	BR
Pompeius verna (W. H. Edwards)		Little Glassywing Skipper	BR
Anatrytone logan (W. H. Edwards)		Delaware Skipper	BR
Poanes hobomok (Harris)		Hobomok Skipper	BR
Poanes massasoit		Mulberry Wing	BR
Poanes viator (W. H. Edwards)	zizaniae (Shapiro)	Broadwinged Skipper	BR
Euphyes bimacula (Grote & Robinson)		Two-spotted Skipper	BR
Euphyes vestris (Boisduval)	metacomet (Harris)	Dun Skipper	BR
*Atryonopsis hianna* (Scudder)		Dusted Skipper	BR	SC
Amblyscirtes hegon (Scudder)		Pepper & Salt Skipper	BR
Amblyscirtes vialis (W. H. Edwards)		Common Roadside Skipper	BR

Family Papilionidae		Swallowtails
Battus philenor (Linnaeus)		Pipevine Swallowtail	RS
Papilio polyxenes Fabricius	asterius (Stoll)	Black Swallowtail	BR
Papilio glaucus Linnaeus		Eastern Tiger Swallowtail	RS
Papilio canadensis Rothschild & Jordan		Canadian Tiger Swallowtail	BR
Papilio troilus Linnaeus		Spicebush Swallowtail	RS or RC	SC
Papilio cresphontes Cramer		Giant Swallowtail	RS

Family Pieridae		Sulphurs & Whites
Pontia protodice (Boisduval & LeConte)		Checkered White	RC
Pieris rapae (Linnaeus)		Cabbage White	BR
Pieris oleracea Harris		Mustard White	BR
Colias philodice Godart		Clouded Sulphur	BR
Colias eurytheme (Boisduval)		Alfalfa Butterfly	BR
Colias interior Scudder		Pink-edged Sulphur	BR
Phoebis sennae (Linnaeus)		Cloudless Sulphur	RS
Phoebis philea (Linnaeus)		Orange-barred Sulphur	RS
Phoebis agarithe Boisduval		Large Sulphur	RS
Pyrisitia lisa (Boisduval & LeConte)		Little Sulphur	FS

Family Lycaenidae		Hairstreaks, Blues, Coppers, & Harvesters
Subfamily Miletinae		Harvesters
Feniseca tarquinius (Fabricius)		Harvester	BR

Subfamily Lycaeninae		Hairstreaks, Blues, & Coppers
Lycaena phlaeas (Linnaeus)	hypophlaeas Boisduval; not americana Harris (See Emmel & Pratt 1998)	American Copper	BR
Lycaena hyllus (Cramer)		Bronze Copper	BR	SC
Lycaena epixanthe (Boisduval & LeConte)		Bog Copper	BR
Lycaena dorcas (W. Kirby)	claytoni Brower	Clayton’s Copper	BR	E
Callophrys hesseli (Rawson & Ziegler)		Hessel’s Hairstreak	BR	E
Callophrys gryneus (Hübner)		Juniper Hairstreak	BR	E
Callophrys augustinus (Westwood)		Brown Elfin	BR
Callophrys polios (Cook & Watson)		Hoary Elfin	BR
Callophrys irus (Godart)		Frosted Elfin		EXT
Callophrys henrici (Grote & Robinson)		Henry’s Elfin	BR
Callophrys lanoraieensis (Sheppard)		Bog Elfin	BR
Callophrys niphon (Hübner)	clarki (T. N. Freeman)	Eastern Pine Elfin	BR
Callophrys eryphon (Boisduval)		Western Pine Elfin	BR
Satyrium titus (Fabricius)		Coral Hairstreak	BR	SC
Satyrium acadica (W. H. Edwards)		Acadian Hairstreak	BR
Satyrium edwardsii (Grote & Robinson)		Edwards’ Hairstreak	BR	E
Satyrium calanus (Hübner)	falacer (Godart)	Banded Hairstreak	BR
Satyrium liparops (LeConte)	strigosum (Harris)	Striped Hairstreak	BR
Strymon melinus (Hübner)		Grey Hairstreak	BR
Erora laeta (W. H. Edwards)		Early Hairstreak	BR	SC
Cupido comyntas (Godart)		Eastern Tailed Blue	BR
Cupido amyntula (Boisduval)	maritima (LeBlanc)	Western Tailed Blue	BR
Celastrina seritona (Pavulaan & Wright)	3	Cherry Gall Azure	BR
Celastrina ladon (Cramer) (scaled population)	4	Spring Azure	BR
Celastrina neglecta (W. H. Edwards)		Summer Azure	BR
Glaucopsyche lygdamus (Doubleday)	couperi Grote	Silvery Blue	BR
Plebejus idas (Linnaeus)	empetri (T. N. Freeman)	Crowberry Blue	BR	SC
Plebejus idas (Linnaeus)	scudderri	Northern Blue	BR
Plebejus melissa (W. H. Edwards)	samuelis Nabokov	Karner Blue		EXT⁵
Plebejus saepiolus (Boisduval)	amica (W. H. Edwards)	Greenish Blue	BR

Family Nymphalidae		Brushfoots, Monarchs, Satyrs
Subfamily Libytheinae		Snouts
Libytheana carinenta (Cramer)	bachmanii (Kirtland)	Eastern Snout	RS

Subfamily Danainae		Monarchs or Milkweed Butterflies
Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus)		Monarch	TC

Subfamily Heliconiinae		Fritillaries
Euptoieta claudia (Cramer)		Variegated Fritillary	RC
Speyeria cybele (Fabricius)		Great Spangled Fritillary	BR
Speyeria aphrodite (Fabricius)		Aphrodite Fritillary	BR
Speyeria idalia (Drury)		Regal Fritillary		EXT
Speyeria atlantis (W. H. Edwards)		Atlantis Fritillary	BR
Boloria eunomia (Esper)	dawsoni (Barnes & McDunnough)	Bog Fritillary	BR
Boloria selene (Denis & Schiffermüller)	6	Silver-bordered Fritillary	BR
Boloria bellona (Fabricius)		Meadow Fritillary	BR
Boloria frigga (Thunberg)	saga (Staudinger)	Frigga Fritillary	BR	SC
Boloria chariclea (Schneider)	grandis (Barnes & McDunnough)	Purple Lesser Fritillary	BR	T

Subfamily Nymphalinae		Checkerspots, Tortoiseshells, Commas, & Ladies
Chlosyne nycteis (Doubleday)		Silvery Checkerspot	BR
Chlosyne harrisii (Scudder)		Harris’s Checkerspot	BR
Phyciodes tharos (Drury)		Pearl Crescent	BR
Phyciodes cocyta (Cramer)		Northern Pearl Crescent	BR
Phyciodes batesii (Reakirt)		Tawny Crescent		EXT
Euphydryas phaeton (Drury)		Baltimore Checkerspot	BR
Junonia coenia Hübner		Common Buckeye	RS
Polygonia interrogationis (Fabricius)		Question Mark	TC
Polygonia comma (Harris)		Eastern Comma	BR
Polygonia satyrus (W. H. Edwards)		Satyr Comma	BR	SC
Polygonia faunus (W. H. Edwards)		Green Comma	BR
Polygonia gracilis (Grote & Robinson)		Hoary Comma	BR
Polygonia progne (Cramer)		Grey Comma	BR
Nymphalis vaualbum (Dennis & Schiffermüller)		Compton Tortoiseshell	BR
Nymphalis milberti (Godart)		Milbert’s Tortoiseshell	BR
Nymphalis antiopa (Linnaeus)		Mourning Cloak	BR
Vanessa atalanta (Linnaeus)		Red Admiral	BR
Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus)		Painted Lady	TC
Vanessa virginiensis (Drury)		American Lady	BR
Limenitis arthemis (Drury)	7	White Admiral	BR
Limenitis archippus (Cramer)		Viceroy	BR

Subfamily Satyrinae		Satyrs & Arctics
Enodia anthedon A. H. Clark		Northern Pearly-Eye	BR
Satyrodes eurydice (Linnaeus)		Eyed Brown	BR
Satyrodes appalachia (R. L. Chermock)		Appalachian Brown	BR	SC
Megisto cymela (Cramer)		Little Wood Satyr	BR
Coenonympha tullia (Hübner)	inornata W. H. Edwards	Inornate Ringlet	BR
Cercyonis pegala (Fabricius)	8	Common Wood Nymph	BR
Oeneis jutta (Hübner)	ascerta (Masters & Sorensen)	Jutta Arctic	BR
Oeneis polixenes (Fabricius)	katahdin (Newcomb)	Katahdin Arctic	BR	E

1. Resident Status - BR = Breeding resident; TC - Frequent to common temporary colonist; RC - Rare temporary colonist; FS - Frequent stray; RS - Rare Stray;

2. Conservation Status - EXT - Extirpated; E - State Endangered; T - State Threatened; SC - State Special Concern

3. Most Celastrina in Maine in flight during May and June are the Cherry Gall Azure. These include central and northern populations with a high proportion of individuals exhibiting the "lucia" or "marginata" phenotypes on the underside of the wings. These populations have sometimes been referred to as Celastrina lucia Kirby, but are conspecific with C. serotina. There is also a phenotypically similar taxon that may an undescribed sibling species that occurs in black spruce bogs in central and northern Maine

4. This undescribed taxon was recently found in extreme southwestern Maine and emerges before the Cherry Gall Azure in southern New England, often as early as late March in years with early springs. Males are distinguished from other Celastrina in Maine by the presence of elongate androconial scales that cover the entire upper surface of the wings. These scales cover only the wing veins in other Celastrina species in Maine. This species uses highbush blueberry as a host and adults typically exhibit a well developed "lucia" or "marginata" phenotype on the underside of the wings.

5. Plebejus melissa samuelis (Karner Blue) is the only federally endangered butterfly in Maine; It is now extirpated.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.