North American Butterflies and Moths List

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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of Oregon

Propertius Duskywing (Erynnis propertius)
JPG -- species photo

Propertius Duskywing (Erynnis propertius [Scudder & Burgess])

Wing span: 1 3/8 - 1 3/4 inches (3.5 - 4.5 cm).

Identification: Upperside brown; forewings with gray overscaling and distinct dark markings. Clear spots are small in the male, large in the female. Underside of hindwing has well-defined spots below the apex. Male has a costal fold containing yellow scent scales; female has a patch of scent scales on the 7th abdominal segment.

Life history: Males perch on sunny hilltops to find females. Fully-grown caterpillars hibernate.

Flight: One brood from March-July.

Caterpillar hosts: Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), Garry oak (Q. garryana), and perhaps others.

Adult food: Flower nectar.

Habitat: Open oak woodlands, forest openings and edges, meadows and fields near oaks. Does not occur in deserts or hot central valleys.

Range: Southern British Columbia south along the Pacific Slope to Baja California Norte.

Conservation: Not usually required.

The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

Management needs: None reported.

References:


Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, 

     Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.



Stanford, R. E. and P. A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of western USA butterflies including 

     adjacent parts of Canada and Mexico. Denver and Fort Collins, CO. 



Tilden, J. W. 1986. A field guide to western butterflies. Houghton-Mifflin Co., 

     Boston, Mass. 370 pages, 23 color plates.

Author: Jane M. Struttmann

State and Regional References:


Dornfeld, E. J. 1980. The Butterflies of Oregon. Forest Grove, 	Ore., Timber 

     Press.



Hinchliff, J. 1994. An atlas of Oregon Butterflies. Oregon State University

     Bookstore, Corvallis.



Hinchliff, J. 1994. The distribution of the butterflies of Oregon. Evergreen 

     Aurelians. Oregon State University Bookstore, Corvallis, 176 pp. + map. 



Opler, Paul A. 1999. Peterson Field Guide to Western Butterflies, revised 

     edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.



Stanford, R.E. and P.A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of Western USA Butterflies. 

     Privately published, Denver, Colo. 



Tilden, J.W. and A.C. Smith. 1986. A Field Guide to Western Butterflies. 

     Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.

Propertius Duskywing (Erynnis propertius)
distribution map
map legend

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