Butterflies of Kern County, California

Alison Sheehey and Ken Davenport

LEGEND

C=common  O=occasional  LC=locally common  U=uncommon  R=rare V=vagrant  X=exceptional

G=Greenhorn Mtns.   B= Breckenridge Mtn.  P=Piute Mtns.  T=Tehachapi Mtns. MP=Mt. Pinos region   FP=Frazier Park Te=Temblors    SJV=San Joaquin Valley    LI=Lake Isabella  KC=Kern River Canyon   KRV=Kern River Valley    MD=Mojave Desert  [names in parentheses current synonyms - brackets old names]

USGS Butterflies of California http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/map?x=160&y=159&si=5 

Common Name

Scientific Name

Swallowtails         Family Papilionidae

1 Parnassian

Subfamily Parnassiinae

Clodius Parnassian

(Baldur Parnassian)

Parnassius clodius baldur

no capture records - G, KRV

8 Swallowtails

Subfamily Papilioninae

Pipevine Swallowtail

Battus philenor philenor

R -- P, SJV

Black Swallowtail

E. Sierras, strays -  SJV & KRV, O- MD  (wet years only) -

Anise Swallowtail

Papilio zelicaon zelicaon

Hilltops montane habitats, LC -- cities orange groves

Indra Swallowtail

(Phyllis's Swallowtail)

Papilio indra phyllisae

arid slopes P

Western Tiger Swallowtail

Papilio rutulus rutulus

cities

Two-tailed Swallowtail

(Smaller Two-tailed Swallowtail)

Papilio multicaudata pusillus

R - Mtns

Pale Swallowtail

Papilio eurymedon

high Mtns.

Giant Swallowtail

Papilio cresphontes

[Heraclides]

X- SJV orange groves

Whites and Sulphurs                        Family Pieridae

10 Whites

Subfamily Pierinae

Pine White

Neophasia menapia

(Pine White)

N. m. menapia

(Tehachapi Pine White)

N. m. tehachapina

1. L - Greenhorns Yellow Pines

 2. L - Tehachapis

Becker's White

Pontia beckerii

C -- arid areas

Spring White

Pontia sisymbrii sisymbrii

C -- foothills

Checkered White

Pontia protodice

C - Feb-Oct Arid SJV, MD, and arid Mtns.

Cabbage White

Pieris rapae

[Artogeia]

C --year-round

Desert Marble

Euchloe lotta 

C- arid mtns., Kelso, T, and MD

California Marble

(Pearly Marble)

Euchloe hyantis

Mt. Pinos and FP

Desert Orangetip 

Anthocharis cethura

(Marbled Desert Orangetip)

A. c. hadromarmorata

(Morrison's Orangetip)

A. c. morrisoni

1 = D Mtns

2 = KRV SJV

Sara Orangetip 

(Pacific Orangetip)

Anthocharis sara sara

C -- foothills canyons

Gray Marble

(Grinnell's Marble)

Anthocharis lanceolata

A. c. lanceolata

A. l. australis

1 = Sierras

2 = Frazier Park

8 Sulphurs 

Subfamily Coliadinae

Orange Sulphur

Colias eurytheme

C -- alfalfa - grassfields

Harford's Sulphur

Colias harfordii

FP, T, rare P and Kelso

California Dogface 

Zerene eurydice

Temblors  - Tehachapis

Southern Dogface 

Zerene cesonia cesonia

U -- Mtns. and MD

Cloudless Sulphur 

Phoebis sennae marcellina

R -- wet years MD

Mexican Yellow 

Eurema mexicana

R -- KRV SJV Frazier Park

Sleepy Orange 

Abaeis (Eurema) nicippe

Cantil SJV

Dainty Sulphur 

(Dwarf Yellow)

Nathalis iole

FP

Gossamer-wing Butterflies               Family Lycaenidae

5 Coppers

Subfamily Lycaeninae

Tailed Copper

Lycaena arota arota

[Tharsalea]

gooseberries

Great Copper

Lycaena xanthoides xanthoides

[Gaeides]

Mtns

Gorgon Copper  

Lycaena gorgon

L. g. gorgon

L. g. micropunctata

[Gaeides]

1 = T, P, W. Sierras

2 = E. Sierras, KRV, and w. MD Mtns.

Blue Copper

Lycaena heteronea clara

[Chalceria]

Scarce and local, P, FP, Lake of the Woods

Purplish Copper 

Lycaena helloides helloides

[Epidemia]

O -- SJV foothills

17 Hairstreaks 

Subfamily Theclinae

Golden Hairstreak 

(Boisduval's Hairstreak)

Habrodais grunus grunus

woodlands

Great Purple Hairstreak

Atlides halesus estesi

O -- mistletoe

Silver-banded Hairstreak

(Sarita Hairstreak)

Chlorostrymon simaethis sarita

X -- Cantil

Behr's Hairstreak 

Satyrium behrii behrii

C -- E. Sierra

California Hairstreak

Satyrium californicum californicum

woodlands below 6000'

Sylvan Hairstreak 

Satyrium sylvinus 

S. s. sylvinum

S. s. desertorium

S. s. dryope

1 = Poso

2 = KC, KRV, T

3 = FP

Gold-hunter's Hairstreak

Satyrium auretorum

S. a. auretorum

S. a. spadix

1 = Te

2 = T, Sierras high

Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak

Satyrium tetra

chaparral - montane

Hedgerow Hairstreak

Satyrium saepium

S. s. chalcis

S. s. subaridum

1 = montane

2 = Walker Pass

Perplexing Hairstreak

(Bramble Hairstreak) 

Callophrys perplexa perplexa

KC - Mtns.

Brown Elfin 

Callophrys augustinus iroides

[Incisalia]

montane forests, woodland foothills and  canyons

Western Pine Elfin 

G, B, KP

Thicket Hairstreak

Callophrys spinetorum spinetorum

[Loranthomitoura]

T, Caliente

Juniper Hairstreak 

Callophrys siva

[Mitoura] (Callophrys gryneus)

C. s. juniperaria

C. s. mansfieldi

1 = MP, P, E. G, arid S. Sierra

2 = Te

Muir's Hairstreak 

Callophrys muiri

[Mitoura]

Cottonwood Pass in junipers

Nelson's Hairstreak 

Callophrys nelsoni nelsoni

[Mitoura]

G in incense cedar

Mallow Hairstreak

Strymon istapa clenchi

X - LI

Gray Hairstreak 

(Common Hairstreak)

Strymon melinus pudicus

O = below 8000'

23 Blues

Subfamily Polyommatinae

Western Pygmy-Blue

Brephidium exile

arid, lowlands & desert

Marine Blue

Leptotes marina

C - Isabella Reservoir, SJV, MD

Ceraunus Blue

Hemiargus ceraunus gyus

lower KC, BKSFLD, Koehn Lake

Reakirt's Blue 

Hemiargus isola alce

U - West SJV, Temblors, Kelso, Cantil

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Everes comyntas comyntas

V - KR

Western Tailed-Blue 

Everes amyntula amyntula

C - Temblors, Mtns

Echo Azure

Spring Azure

Celastrina echo

[C. argiolus]

foothills, forests

Sonoran Blue 

Philotes sonorensis sonorensis

R - Mtns.

Western Square-dotted Blue

Comstock's Blue

(Square-spotted Blue) 

Euphilotes battoides comstocki

Mtns.

Bernardino Dotted-Blue

Euphilotes bernardino

Bernardino Blue

E. b. bernardino

Inyo-Mountains Blue

E. b. inyomontanus

1. C - Mtns, KRV

2. MD, Walker Pass, Kelso

Pacific Dotted-Blue

Euphilotes enoptes

Dotted Blue

E. e. enoptes

Tilden's Blue

E. e. tildeni

Langston's Blue

E. e. langstoni

1. Greenhorns

2. Temblors, So.  Sierra's to MT. Pinos

3. Scodies east to desert mtns.

Mojave Dotted-Blue

image courtesy Bruce Webb © 2005

Euphilotes mojave

arid slopes of Sierras and Tehachapis, MD, Kelso

Pallid Dotted-Blue

Elvira's Blue

Euphilotes pallescens elvirae

east of Walker Pass S. to east Tehachapi's

Small Dotted-Blue

Small Blue

Philotiella speciosa speciosa

R - SJV, MD

Arrowhead Blue 

Glaucopsyche piasus

G. p. piasus

G. p. excubitus

1. Greenhorns

2. Kelso, Havilah, Frazier Park

Silvery Blue

Glaucopsyche lygdamus - eastern Sierra

Southern Silvery Blue

G. l. australis

Columbia Blue

G. l. nr. columia

1. east Sierra, Kelso, Piutes

2. Frazier Park

3. Greenhorns, upper KC

Melissa Blue 

Orange-margined Blue

Lycaeides melissa paradoxa

KRV, Tehachapi's, Kelso, Frazier Park

Greenish Blue 

Plebejus saepiolus nr. aehaja

[Plebeius]

Greenhorns, Piutes

San Emigdio Blue

Plebejus emigdionis

[Plebeius]

Transverse to Tehachapi's, KRV

Boisduval's Blue

(Common Blue)

Plebejus icarioides

[Icaricia]  [Plebeius]

Evius Blue

P. i. evius

Boisduval's Blue

P. i. eosierra

Atascadero Blue

P. i. atascadero

1.  Greenhorns, Piutes, Tehachapi's to Frazier Park

2. Walker and Bird Spring Passes

3. Cottonwood Pass (Temblors)

Acmon Blue 

Plebejus acmon acmon

[Icaricia] [Plebeius]

entire county

Lupine Blue

Plebejus  lupini

[Icaricia] [Plebeius]

Lupine Blue

P. l. lupini

Clemence's Blue

P. l. monticola

Lupine Blue

P. l. argentata

Green Blue

P. l. chlorina

Lupine Blue

P. l.  unnamed

1. Fay Creek - Kern Plateau

2. Mtns.

3. E. Sierra, Walker Pass, Kelso, Piutes

4. possibly Mt. Pinos

5. High elevation Eriogonum umbellatum

Veined Blue

Plebejus neurona

[Icaricia] [Plebeius]

Kelso, E. G, P, T to FP

5 Metalmarks                                 Family Riodinidae

Mormon Metalmark

Apodemia mormo

A. m. nr. mormo

A. m. nr. langei (endangered)

1. Kernville, E. G

2. Cottonwood Pass, Annette region

(Mormon, Tuolumne, Sonoran, and Behr's considered subspecific under A. mormo by some)

Tuolumne Metalmark

Apodemia cythera tuolumnensis

upper KC, KRV, Walker Pass, Mtns

Sonoran Metalmark

(Desert Metalmark)

Apodemia mejicanus deserti

desert Mtns. E. Sierra

Behr's Metalmark

Apodemia virgulti complex

A. v. virgulti,

Davenport's Metalmark

A. v. davenporti

A. v. mojavelimbus

1. T

2. Walker Pass, Kelso, Butterbredt, E. G, Piutes, K

3. E. T, lower KC

Palmer's Metalmark 

Apodemia palmerii palmerii

MD dry lakes

Brush-footed Butterflies

Family Nymphalidae

1 Snout

American Snout

Snout Butterfly

Libytheana carinenta streckeri

R - Bakersfield, Koehn Lake

8 Heliconians and Fritillaries

Subfamily Heliconiinae

Gulf Fritillary

Agraulis vanillae incarnata

SJV cities, FP

Variegated Fritillary 

Euptoieta claudia

E. MD

Coronis Fritillary

Speyeria coronis hennei

C - FP, MP, T

R - P. ? G, KP

Callippe Fritillary

Speyeria callippe

Macaria Fritillary

S. c. macaria

Unsilvered Macaria Fritillary

S. c. laurina

Comstock's Fritillary

S. c. comstocki