Flight Periods

Flight period histograms for each species may be viewed by selecting the common name below.  Histograms are based on modern record dates (1996 to present) unless there are no modern records (histogram will be annotated accordingly).  The interactive phenology tool allows the user to determine the sample interval and will also display flight periods of several species simultaneously for comparison.       PHENOLOGY TOOL1

Scientific Name Common Name
Family Hesperiidae Skippers
Subfamily Eudaminae Dicot Skippers
Thorybes bathyllus (J. E. Smith) Southern Cloudywing
Thorybes pylades pylades (Scudder) Northern Cloudywing
Urbanus proteus proteus (Linnaeus)* Long-tailed Skipper
Epargyreus clarus clarus (Cramer) Silver-spotted Skipper
 Subfamily Pyriginae Spread-winged Skippers
Pholisora catullus (Fabricius) Common Sootywing
Erynnis icelus (Scudder & Burgess) Dreamy Duskywing
Erynnis brizo brizo (Boisduval & Le Conte) Sleepy Duskywing
Erynnis juvenalis juvenalis (Fabricius) Juvenal’s Duskywing
Erynnis baptisiae (W. Forbes)* Wild Indigo Duskywing
 Subfamily Heteropterinae Skipperlings
Carterocephalus mandan (W. H. Edwards) Arctic Skipper
 Subfamily Hesperiinae Grass Skippers
Euphyes conspicua orono (Scudder)* Black Dash
Euphyes bimacula bimacula (Grote & Robinson) Two-spotted Skipper
Euphyes vestris metacomet (T. Harris) Dun Skipper
Anatrytone logan logan (W. H. Edwards) Delaware Skipper
Hylephila phyleus phyleus (Drury)* Fiery Skipper
Polites origenes origenes (Fabricius) Crossline Skipper
Polites mystic mystic (W. H. Edwards) Long Dash Skipper
Polites themistocles themistocles (Latreille) Tawny-edged Skipper
Polites peckius peckius (W. Kirby) Peck’s Skipper
Polites egeremet (Scudder) Northern Broken Dash
Vernia verna (W. H. Edwards) Little Glassywing Skipper
Hesperia colorado laurentina (Lyman) Common Branded Skipper (Laurentian Skipper)
Hesperia leonardus leonardus T. Harris Leonard’s Skipper
Hesperia metea metea Scudder Cobweb Skipper
Hesperia sassacus sassacus T. Harris Sassacus Skipper
Poanes massasoit massasoit (Scudder)* Mulberry Wing
Poanes viator zizaniae Shapiro Broadwinged Skipper
Lon hobomok hobomok (T. Harris) Hobomok Skipper
Atrytonopsis hianna hianna (Scudder)* Dusted Skipper
Amblyscirtes hegon (Scudder) Pepper and Salt Skipper
Amblyscirtes vialis (W. H. Edwards) Common Roadside Skipper
Thymelicus lineola lineola (Ochsenheimer) European Skipper
Panoquina ocola ocola (W. H. Edwards)* Ocola Skipper
Ancyloxypha numitor (Fabricius) Least Skipper
 Family Papilionidae Swallowtails
 Subfamily Papilioninae True Swallowtails
Battus philenor philenor (Linnaeus) Pipevine Swallowtail
Papilio brevicauda gaspeensis McDunnough* Short-tailed Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes asterius (Stoll) Black Swallowtail
Heraclides cresphontes (Cramer) Eastern Giant Swallowtail
Pterourus troilus troilus (Linnaeus) Spicebush Swallowtail
Pterourus glaucus glaucus (Linnaeus) Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Pterourus canadensis (Rothschild & Jordan) Canadian Tiger Swallowtail
 Family Pieridae Whites & Sulphurs
 Subfamily Coliadinae Sulphurs
Pyrisitia lisa lisa (Boisduval & Le Conte) Little Yellow
Colias philodice Godart Clouded Sulphur 
Colias eurytheme Boisduval Orange Sulphur
Colias interior interior Scudder Pink-edged Sulphur
Phoebis sennae eubule (Linnaeus) Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis philea philea (Linnaeus) Orange-barred Sulphur
Subfamily Pierinae Whites
Pontia protodice (Boisduval & Le Conte) Checkered White
Pieris rapae rapae (Linnaeus) Cabbage White
Pieris oleracea oleracea (T. Harris) Mustard White
Family Lycaenidae Gossamer-wings
Subfamily Miletinae Harvesters
Feniseca tarquinius (Fabricius) Harvester
Subfamily Lycaeninae Coppers
Lycaena phlaeas hypophlaeas (Boisduval) American Copper
Tharsalea hyllus (Cramer) Bronze Copper
Tharsalea dorcas claytoni (A. E. Brower) Clayton’s Copper 
Tharsalea epixanthe epixanthe (Boisduval & Le Conte) Bog Copper2
Tharsalea epixanthe phaedrus (G. Hall) Bog Copper2
Subfamily Theclinae Hairstreaks
Parrhasius m-album (Boisduval & Le Conte) White M Hairstreak
Strymon melinus humuli (T. Harris) Gray Hairstreak
Callophrys gryneus gryneus (Hübner) Juniper (Olive) Hairstreak
Callophrys hesseli hesseli (Rawson & Ziegler) Hessel’s Hairstreak
Callophrys augustinus augustinus (Westwood) Brown Elfin
Callophrys polios polios (Cook & F. Watson) Hoary Elfin
Callophrys henrici henrici (Grote & Robinson) Henry’s Elfin
Callophrys lanoraieensis (Sheppard) Bog Elfin
Callophrys niphon clarki (T. Freeman) Eastern Pine Elfin
Callophrys eryphon eryphon (Boisduval) Western Pine Elfin
Erora laeta (W. H. Edwards) Early Hairstreak
Satyrium titus winteri (Gatrelle) Coral Hairstreak
Satyrium liparops strigosa (T. Harris) Striped Hairstreak
Satyrium calanus falacer (Godart) Banded Hairstreak
Satyrium edwardsii edwardsii (Grote & Robinson) Edwards’ Hairstreak
Satyrium acadica acadica (W. H. Edwards) Acadian Hairstreak
Subfamily Polyommatinae Blues
Glaucopsyche lygdamus couperi Grote Silvery Blue
Celastrina lucia lucia (W. Kirby) Northern Azure
Celastrina neglecta (W. H. Edwards) Summer Azure
Cupido comyntas comyntas (Godart) Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido amyntula maritima (Leblanc) Western Tailed-Blue
Icaricia saepiolus amica (W. H. Edwards) Greenish Blue
Plebejus idas empetri T. Freeman Crowberry Blue
Plebejus idas scudderii (W. H. Edwards) Northern Blue  
Family Nymphalidae Brushfoots
Subfamily Libytheinae Snouts
Libytheana carinenta bachmanii (Kirtland) American Snout
Subfamily Danainae Milkweed Butterflies
Danaus plexippus plexippus (Linnaeus) Monarch
 Subfamily Heliconiinae Longwings & Fritillaries
Euptoieta claudia (Cramer) Variegated Fritillary
Boloria eunomia dawsoni (W. Barnes & McDunnough) Bog Fritillary
Boloria chariclea grandis (W. Barnes & McDunnough) Arctic (Purple Lesser) Fritillary
Boloria bellona bellona (Fabricius) Meadow Fritillary
Boloria frigga saga (Staudinger) Frigga Fritillary
Boloria selene myrina (Cramer)3 Silver-bordered Fritillary2
Boloria selene atrocostalis (Huard)3 Silver-bordered Fritillary2
Argynnis idalia idalia (Drury) Regal Fritillary
Argynnis cybele cybele (Fabricius) Great Spangled Fritillary2
Argynnis cybele novascotiae McDunnough Great Spangled Fritillary2
Argynnis aphrodite aphrodite (Fabricius) Aphrodite Fritillary2
Argynnis aphrodite winni Gunder Aphrodite Fritillary2
Argynnis atlantis atlantis W. H. Edwards Atlantis Fritillary
Subfamily Limenitidinae Admirals & Relatives
Limenitis archippus archippus (Cramer) Viceroy
Limenitis arthemis arthemis (Drury)4 White Admiral  
Subfamily Nymphalinae True Brushfoots
Aglais milberti milberti (Godart) Milbert’s Tortoiseshell
Nymphalis l-album j-album (Boisduval &   Le Conte) Compton Tortoiseshell
Nymphalis antiopa antiopa (Linnaeus) Mourning Cloak
Polygonia interrogationis (Fabricius) Question Mark
Polygonia comma (T. Harris) Eastern Comma
Polygonia satyrus neomarsyas dos Passos Satyr Comma
Polygonia progne (Cramer) Gray Comma
Polygonia gracilis gracilis (Grote & Robinson) Hoary Comma
Polygonia faunus faunus (W. H. Edwards) Green Comma
Vanessa virginiensis (Drury) American Lady
Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus) Painted Lady
Vanessa atalanta rubria (Fruhstorfer) Red Admiral
Junonia coenia coenia Hübner Common Buckeye
Euphydryas phaeton phaeton (Drury) Baltimore Checkerspot
Chlosyne nycteis nycteis (E. Doubleday) Silvery Checkerspot
Chlosyne harrisii harrisii (Scudder) Harris’ Checkerspot
Phyciodes tharos tharos (Drury) Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes cocyta cocyta (Cramer) Northern Crescent
Subfamily Satyrinae Satyrs
Coenonympha california inornata W. H. Edwards Common (Inornate) Ringlet
Lethe anthedon (A. Clark) Northern Pearly-Eye
Lethe eurydice eurydice (Linnaeus) Eyed Brown
Lethe appalachia appalachia R. Chermock Appalachian Brown
Megisto cymela cymela (Cramer) Little Wood Satyr
Cercyonis pegala alope (Fabricius)5 Common Wood Nymph2
Cercyonis pegala nephele (W. Kirby)5   [including “intermediate” phenotypes] Common Wood Nymph2
Oeneis jutta ascerta Masters & Sorensen Jutta Arctic
Oeneis polixenes katahdin (Newcomb) Katahdin Arctic
  1. Thanks to Herb Wilson for designing the interactive phenology tool.
  2. The flight histograms have been merged for those cases when subspecies distinctions were not always determined or intermediate morphs were encountered.
  3. Bolaria selene - 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.  
  4. Limenitis arthemis - The northern limit of the blend zone between the 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.
  5. Cercyonis pegala - In southwestern Maine is alope (Fabricius), which has a well-developed yellowish to orange patch on the forewing. In northern Maine is 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.

* new species/subspecies added to the state list during the survey