Different Types of Butterflies in Washington

Arctic Skipper and Common Sootywing

• The arctic skipper is a brown butterfly with paler spots and markings on its wings. It's found in Canada and southward to the northern United States, where it lives in temperate forests. The arctic skipper's wingspan is from 1/4 inch to 1 1/4 inches. The common sootywing is a rather drab brown butterfly that lives in the mountains and cultivated lands from Canada and down the West Coast to northern Mexico.

Pipevine Swallowtail and Others

• The beautiful pipevine swallowtail is found from Eastern Canada to Mexico and in the temperate forests and lowlands. It has a 3-inch to 4 1/2-inch wingspan. Hairstreaks thrive in the forests of the Pacific Northwest; they're named for their slender tail at the end of their hindwings. Western tailed blue butterflies live in farmlands and lowlands from Alaska to northern Mexico; they also have a hairstreak on their hindwings.

Western Tiger Swallowtail and Others

• The western tiger swallowtail has a wingspan of 4 to 5 1/2 inches. Its wings are large and mostly yellow, with blue and orange patterns on the hindwings. The smintheus is a butterfly with red and black spotted wings with unusual white antennae banded in black, and its caterpillar eats stonecrop and saxifrage. The smintheus is found at higher altitudes in the Rocky Mountains. A related species is the clodius, which lacks the red spots on the hindwing, but shares the same habitat.

The Alfalfa Butterfly, Mustard White and Nevada Arctic

• The alfalfa butterfly, also known as the orange sulphur, is found in the West from northern Mexico up to Washington's border with Canada. Its caterpillar eats alfalfa and can become a serious pest. The mustard white butterfly has a wingspan of 1.3 to 1.6 inches and lives from Northern California into Canada. The veins on the underside of its wings are lined with dark scales. It gets its name because its caterpillar feeds on the mustard plant, and the adults pollinate the mustard flowers. The Nevada arctic has a small range, from around Washington into Canada. Its wings are pale burnt orange with brown spots at the forewings and hindwings.

Fritillaries and Others

• Many species of fritillaries occur in western Canada and down through the Rocky Mountains. The western pine elfin can be found from New Mexico to British Columbia and lives in the lowlands and the mountains. The caterpillar eats the needles of the pine tree it was hatched on. The anise swallowtail is common around the Rocky Mountains and has a wingspan of 2.5 to 3.5 inches, and it prefers open country, gardens and fields. The sexes look alike, with dark wings with yellow, blue and orange markings.