Checklist of Butterflies in Sligo Creek Park

Scientific names Common names Abundance
Papilionidae: Swallowtails:
Pterourus glaucus glaucus Eastern Tiger Swallowtail C
Pterourus troilus troilus Spicebush Swallowtail R
Papilio polyxenes asterius Black Swallowtail U
Protographium marcellus Zebra Swallowtail R
Battus philenor philenor Pipevine Swallowtail R
Pieridae: Whites and Yellows:
Pieris rapae rapae Cabbage White A
Colias philodice philodice Clouded Sulphur U
Colias eurytheme Orange Sulphur C
Phoebis sennae sennae Cloudless Sulphur R
Eurema nicippe Sleepy Orange U
Nymphalidae: Brushfoots:
Polygonia comma Eastern Comma U
Polygonia interrogationis Question Mark C
Nymphalis antiopa antiopa Mourning Cloak R
Vanessa atalanta rubria Red Admiral C
Vanessa virginiensis American Lady C
Vanessa cardui Painted Lady U
Limenitis archippus archippus Viceroy R
Limenitis arthemis astyanax Red-spotted Purple U
Junonia coenia Common Buckeye U
Phyciodes tharos tharos Pearl Crescent C
Euptoieta claudia daunius Variegated Fritillary U
Speyeria cybele cybele Great Spangled Fritillary R
Danaus plexippus plexippus Monarch C
Lycaenidae: Hairstreaks:
Strymon melinus Gray Hairstreak U
Calycopis cecrops Red-banded Hairstreak C
Satyrium calanus Banded Hairstreak U
Cupido comyntas Eastern Tailed Blue C
Celastrina ladon Spring Azure C
Celastrina neglecta Summer Azure C
Hesperiidae: Skippers:
Epargyreus clarus clarus Silver-spotted Skipper A
Staphylus hayhurstii Hayhurst’s Scallopwing U
Erynnis horatius Horace’s Duskywing C
Erynnis baptisiae Wild Indigo Duskywing C
Erynnis juvenalis juvenalis Juvenal’s Duskywing R
Pyrgus communis communis Common Checkered Skipper R
Atalopedes campestris huron Sachem A
Polites coras Peck’s Skipper C
Hylephila phyleus phyleus Fiery Skipper U
Ancyloxypha numitor Least Skipper R
Lerema accius accius Clouded Skipper R
Wallengrenia egeremet Northern Broken Dash R
Poanes zabulon Zabulon Skipper C
Pompeius verna Little Glassywing U
Euphyes vestris metacomet Dun Skipper U
Panoquina ocola ocola Ocola Skipper R

ABUNDANCE LEGEND:

  • A = Abundant (likely to be seen in Sligo, often in numbers, on any given day during most or all of the butterfly season [Mar-Oct])
  • C = Common (likely to be seen in Sligo on most days during a significant portion of the butterfly season)
  • U = Uncommon (not frequently seen in Sligo and/or restricted to a short flight period)
  • R = Rare (likely to be seen in Sligo only a few times during the butterfly season).

Note that butterfly abundance can, and usually does, vary dramatically from year to year.

SOURCE:
Butterfly checklist (45 species) for section 3 of Sligo Creek Park (Maple Ave. to Piney Branch Rd.), compiled by Jason Hall, Sligo watershed resident and research entomologist with the Smithsonian Institution, specializing in neotropical butterflies. The checklist was compiled between 2006 and 2009, with species recorded from the natural habitats of the Park itself and from the gardens of homes immediately bordering the Park. These gardens harbor a wide variety of food plants (for caterpillars) and nectar sources (for butterflies) that are critical to maintaining the populations of many of the Park’s butterfly species.