Oeneis nevadensis
Encyclopedia
Oeneis nevadensis is a species of butterfly
in the family Nymphalidae
. It is commonly known as the Great Arctic, the Nevada Arctic, the Great Grayling, Felder's Arctic, and the Pacific Arctic. It is native to northwestern North America
.
. O. n. nevadensis is bright orange-brown on the upper side of the wings. The dark brown wing margins are scalloped. Males have one to two black eyespots on the fore wing; females have two to three. Males have a large, dark patch of sex scales on the fore wing, extending from the basal area to near the apex. Females have dark scaling on the basal area of the fore wing. Both sexes have a small eyespot near the hind wing tornus. The underside of the fore wing is similar to the upper side. The ventral hind wing is uniformly striated dark brown and gray. Some populations have an irregular dark median band on the hind wing. The costa is a whitish color. O. n. gigas is slightly larger and darker than the nominate subspecies. O. n. iduna differs from the other two subspecies in having a much paler upper side.
, from southern British Colombia to northern California
. O. n. gigas is found on the southern tip of Vancouver Island
. O. n. iduna is found in northern coastal California. The Great Arctic is found from sea level to 7,000 feet. Habitats include forest clearings, open pinewoods, gravel roads, meadows, slopes, and canyons. Along the coast, it is commonly found on bare mountain summits.
is tan with a black lateral dorsal stripe. The sides of the caterpillar are striped with brown, greenish-brown, and white. The head lacks horns, and the posterior end of the abdomen is forked. The caterpillar overwinters partially grown in its first year, and overwinters in its second year as a fifth instar. The host plant for the Great Arctic is unknown, but is believed to be in the Poaceae
family.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
in the family Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...
. It is commonly known as the Great Arctic, the Nevada Arctic, the Great Grayling, Felder's Arctic, and the Pacific Arctic. It is native to northwestern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Subspecies
- Oeneis nevadensis nevadensis (C. Felder & R. Felder, [1867])
- Oeneis nevadensis gigas Butler, 1868
- Oeneis nevadensis iduna (Edwards, 1874)
Description
The wingspan of the Great Arctic measures 2 to 2.5 inches (5.1 to 6.3 cm), making it the largest western arcticOeneis
Oeneis is a butterfly genus of the Satyrinae. All but one of its members are arctic, subarctic or high-altitude alpine in distribution. Some of the members of the genus are among the butterflies that can get along in the harshest climates of any butterflies...
. O. n. nevadensis is bright orange-brown on the upper side of the wings. The dark brown wing margins are scalloped. Males have one to two black eyespots on the fore wing; females have two to three. Males have a large, dark patch of sex scales on the fore wing, extending from the basal area to near the apex. Females have dark scaling on the basal area of the fore wing. Both sexes have a small eyespot near the hind wing tornus. The underside of the fore wing is similar to the upper side. The ventral hind wing is uniformly striated dark brown and gray. Some populations have an irregular dark median band on the hind wing. The costa is a whitish color. O. n. gigas is slightly larger and darker than the nominate subspecies. O. n. iduna differs from the other two subspecies in having a much paler upper side.
Distribution and habitat
The Great Arctic is found almost exclusively in the Cascade MountainsCascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
, from southern British Colombia to northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. O. n. gigas is found on the southern tip of Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
. O. n. iduna is found in northern coastal California. The Great Arctic is found from sea level to 7,000 feet. Habitats include forest clearings, open pinewoods, gravel roads, meadows, slopes, and canyons. Along the coast, it is commonly found on bare mountain summits.
Flight
The Great Arctic is seen from early May to late September, but only every two years (mostly even numbered) due to its long life cycle. O. n. gigas is seen on odd numbered years.Life cycle
The whitish colored egg is oblong and flat-topped. The caterpillarCaterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
is tan with a black lateral dorsal stripe. The sides of the caterpillar are striped with brown, greenish-brown, and white. The head lacks horns, and the posterior end of the abdomen is forked. The caterpillar overwinters partially grown in its first year, and overwinters in its second year as a fifth instar. The host plant for the Great Arctic is unknown, but is believed to be in the Poaceae
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
family.