Rare Types of Butterflies

Blues

• There are seven types of rare blues: the El Segundo Blue, Fender's Blue, Karner Blue, Lotis Blue, Mission Blue, Palos Verdes Blue and Smith's Blue. Butterflies that fall into the blue category all have blue wings that are bordered by a black line. The edges of the wings are white and fringed. Some, like the El Segundo Blue, are spotted as well or have an orange strip along the bottom of the wings. The females are usually a shade of brown. All are found in the Pacific Coastal states.

Checkerspots

• The bay checkerspot and the Quino checkerspot are both rare butterflies. The bay checkerspot is currently just threatened, not endangered. It is larger than the Quino, with a 2-inch wingspan compared to the 1.2-inch wingspan of the Quino. The bay is also found only in northern California, whereas the Quino has a larger range, reaching south into Mexico. Checkerspots get their name from the checkerboard pattern of spots and lines on their wings. The bay's orange and tan spots are outlined in black, and the Quino sports a yellow, red and brown pattern.

Silverspots

• Silverspots are characterized by the silver underside of their wings. Depending on the species, the undersides may be a solid silver-gray or have silvery spots. Four species of silverspots are rare: Behren's silverspot, Oregon silverspot, Myrtle's silverspot and Callippe silverspot. Silverspots generally have wingspans over 2 inches and their dorsal wings usually have an orange and brown spotted pattern. They are found primarily in California through Washington, although the Behren's is also found in Nevada. The Oregon silverspot is the smallest, with a wingspan of only 1 inch. Also, it is distinguished by a dark to light pattern of browns and yellows moving from the interior of the wings outward.

Satyrs

• Just two satyrs are considered rare: The Mitchell's satyr and the Saint Francis' satyr. The Saint Francis' satyr was thought to be extinct until its rediscovery in 1992. Satyrs are one of the few rare butterfly species that are located in the Midwest and southeastern parts of North America. Mitchell's satyr is found around Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, and Saint Francis' is found in North Carolina and Virginia. Satyrs can be identified by their eyespots, which usually occur on the lower wings. Eye spots are dark circles with a small light dot in the center of the spot, resembling an eye with a pupil. The spots are bordered by a darker ring.

Other Rare Butterflies

• Lange's metalmark, Schaus swallowtail and Uncompahgre fritillary are also rare butterflies. The Lange's metalmark, found in California, is a white spotted butterfly with red-orange upper wings and black lower wings. Swallowtails have a teardrop-shaped lower wing tip. The Schaus swallowtail is a larger butterfly, with a wingspan over 3 inches. It is normally brown with a yellow spotted pattern that forms lines across its wings. This swallowtail is found in Florida, almost exclusively in the Keys. The Uncompahgre fritillary is found in Colorado. It enjoys glacierlike environments and has a wingspan slightly over 1 inch. Its orange-brown coloring is said to appear faded.