Habitats: Wasatch Canyons

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Butterflies and Moths' Habitat:

Wasatch Canyons

Provo Canyon South Fork--Big Springs Hollow

Utah Valley's most popular Wasatch Front canyons include American Fork Canyon, Provo Canyon, Rock Canyon, Slide Canyon (Y Mountain Trail,) Hobble Creek Canyon, Maple Canyon, Spanish Fork Canyon, and Payson Canyon. Whether these canyons contain active rivers, or are dry as is the case with Rock, Slide, and Slate Canyons, there are plenty of butterfly and moth species in these riparian and adjacent areas. In fact, the majority of species from Utah County can be found in Wasatch Canyons and hilltops.

The best areas to seek out lepidoptera in these canyons is on hiking trails, mountain parks, campground areas, and turnouts. Males of some species of butterflies like the Two-Tailed Swallowtail, (Papilio multicaudata,) The Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus,) The Mourning Cloak, (Nymphalis antiopa,) and Weidemeyer's Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyeri) prefer to patrol up and down the water course as well as the main highway, so be careful! Remember that the larvae of most of these species feed on plants that grow adjacent to the river or riparian area; so, you should remember to look for butterflies or set up a blacklight for moths near the river or dry ravine.

Although many butterfly and moth species in the Wasatch Mountains are "riparian," some montane species in the Wasatch Mountains fly in habitats away from the river right along the side of the mountain. Finding these species oftentimes requires hiking trails into the habitats of these butterflies. Examples of butterflies that fly along the side of the mountain is the Ridings' satyr (Neominois ridingsi,) Desert elfin (Incisalia fotis,) Spring white (Pieris sisymbri,) Pacuvius duskywing (Erynnis pacuvius) and Queen Alexandra's Sulphur (Colias alexandra.)

Timing is also critical in finding different species of butterflies in the Wasatch Mountains. Some fly in early spring, others start flying in May, June, or July, whereas others do not appear until fall. (For more information on the flights of certain species, please see the web pages on Rock Canyon and/or Y Mountain Trail (Slide Canyon) below.

Habitat Locations in Utah Valley:

Rock Canyon (Provo)	Y Mountain Trail (Slide Canyon)

Butterfly Species For This Habitat:

Swallowtails (Family Papilionidae)

Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon gothica)
Baird's Swallowtail (Papilio bairdi): Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus rutulus); Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata pusillus); Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon); Clodius Parnassian (Parnassius clodius menetriesi)

Brush-footed Butterflies (Family Nymphalidae)

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria leto letona)

Coronis Fritillary (Speyeria coronis snyderi)

Zerene Fritillary (Speyeria zerene platina)

Callippe Fritillary (Speyeria callippe harmonia)

Great Basin Fritillary (Speyeria egleis utahensis)

Northwestern Fritillary (Speyeria hesperis wasatchia)

Relict Fritillary (Boloria kriemhild kriemhild)

Leanira Checkerspot (Thessalia leanira alma)

Northern Checkerspot (Chlosyne palla flavula)

Sagebrush Checkerspot (Chlosyne acastus acastus)

Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta)

Tawny Crescent (Phyciodes batesii anasazi)

Field Crescent (Phyciodes pratensis camillus)

Pale Crescent (Phyciodes pallida barnesi)

Thistle Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta mylitta)

Variable Checkerspot (Euphydryas anicia maria)

Satyr Comma (Polygonia satyrus satyrus)

Hoary Comma (Polygonia zephyrus)

California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)

Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)

Milbert's Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis milberti furcillata)

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

West Coast Lady (Vanessa carye annabella)

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta rubria)

Weidemeyer's Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyeri latifascia)

Arizona Sister (Adelpha bredowi eulalia)

Gossamer-wing Butterflies (Family Lycaenidae)

Tailed Copper (Lycaena arota schellbachi); Ruddy Copper (Lycaena rubidus sirius); Purplish Copper (Lycaena dorcas helloides); Purplish Copper (Lycaena dorcas castro); Colorado Hairstreak (Hypaurotis crysalus citima); Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus immaculosis); Behr's Hairstreak (Satyrium behri behri)
Sylvan Hairstreak (Satyrium sylvinus putnami): Hedgerow Hairstreak (Satyrium saepium provo); Sheridan's Green Hairstreak (Callophrys sheridani neoperplexa); Brown Elfin (Incisalia augustinus annetteae); Desert Elfin (Incisalia fotis fotis); Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus franki); Western Tailed-Blue (Everes amyntula); Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon echo); Rocky Mountain Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes enoptes ancilla); Spalding's Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes spaldingi); Arrowhead Blue (Glaucopsyche piasus daunia); Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus oro); Melissa Blue (Plebejus melissa melissa); Boisduval's Blue (Plebejus icarioides ardea); Lupine Blue (Plebejus acmon lutzi); Arctic Blue (Agriades rustica rustica)

Milkweed Butterflies (Family Danaidae)

Monarch (Danaus plexippus); Satyrs (Family Satyridae)
Great Basin Wood Nymph (Cercyonis sthenele masoni)
Small Wood Nymph (Cercyonis oetus charon)
Ridings' Satyr (Neominois ridingsi dionysius): Canyonland Satyr (Cyllopsis pertepida dorothea); Common Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia brenda)

Skippers (Family Hesperiidae)

Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades pylades); Mexican Cloudywing (Thorybes mexicana); Dreamy Duskywing (Erynnis icelus); Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo burgessi); Rocky Mountain Duskywing (Erynnis telemachus); Afranius Duskywing (Erynnis afranius); Two-banded Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus ruralis); Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis); Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus); Russet Skipperling (Piruna pirus); Garita Skipperling (Oarisma garita)
European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola): Juba Skipper (Hesperia juba); Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado harpalus); Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides napa); Taxiles Skipper (Poanes taxiles); Common Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis)

Whites and Sulphurs (Family Pieridae)

Spring White (Pieris sisymbri sisymbri); Checkered White (Pieris protodice); Western White (Pieris occidentalis); Utah All White (Pieris marginalis pallidisima); Cabbage White (Pieris rapae); Large Marble (Euchloe ausonides coloradensis); Utah Stella Orangetip (Anthocharis stella browningi); Southwestern Orangetip (Anthocharis sara thoosa)
: Yellow Sulphur (Colias philodice eriphyle); Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme); Western Sulphur (Colias occidentalis pseudochristina); Queen Alexandra's Sulphur (Colias alexandra alexandra); Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)

Moth Species For This Habitat:

<Under Construction>

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