I've been slowly working on a butterfly list for San Mateo county, primarily to teach myself something about butterfly distribution and flight timing, but also to accompany a set of lists of other taxa that Sequoia Audubon will be including on its website. Prompted by kueda's question on my last post here, and aided by robberfly (who loaned me the classic John Steiner dissertation, Bay Area Butterflies: The Distribution and Natural History of San Francisco Region Rhopalocera {CSUHayward, 1990}), I can now present a list of those butterflies which do occur in San Mateo county, but have not yet been represented in this project.
Two things to remember - First, I have NO IDEA what I am doing! I am still a rank beginner butterfly student, so please, correct me in future messages where I am wrong. Second, it strikes me that the citizen-science call to not fear duplication is especially fitting for butterflies, because of issues like fragmented habitat, flight timing, and multiple generations within a year. So please, always share butterfly pictures you obtain. But, three, be on the lookout for these species, especially, in San Mateo county. Local knowledge is power!
Large Marble Euchloe ausonides
Sara Orangetip Anthocharis sara
Cloudless Sulpher Phoebis sennae marcellina
Great Copper Lycaena xanthoides
Gorgon Copper Lycaena gorgon
Purplish Copper Lycaena helloides
Great Purple Hairstreak Atlides halesus
California Hairstreak Satyrium californica
Mountain Mahogony Hairstreak Satyrium tetra
Hedgerow Hairstreak Satyrium saepium
Bramble Hairstreak Callophyrs perplexa
Moss's Elfin (San Bruno ssp) Callophrys mossii bayensis
Marine Blue Leptotes marina
Reakirt's Blue Hemiargus isola alce
Eastern Tailed-Blue Everes comyntas
Western Tailed-Blue Cupido amyntula
"Pardalis" Boisduval's Blue Plebejus icarioides pardalis
Pacific Dotted Blue Euphilotes enoptes
Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae
Coronis Fritillary Speyeria coronis
Zerene Frittilary (Myrtle's Silverspot) Speyeria zerene myrtleae
Unsilvered Fritillary Speyeria adiaste adiaste
Pacific Fritillary Boloria epithore epithore
Leanira Checkerspot Thessalia leanira
"Bay Area" Edith's Checkerspot Euphydryas editha bayensis
Green Comma Polygonia faunus
Great Basin Wood-Nymph Cercyonis sthenele
Northern Cloudywing Thorybes pylades
Propertius Duskywing Erynnis propertius
"Grinnell's" Pacuvius Duskywing Erynnis pacuvius pernigra
Small Checkered-Skipper Pyrgus scriptura
Juba Skipper Hesperia juba
"Dodge's" Western Branded Skipper Hesperia [comma] colorado dodgei
Sandhill Skipper Polites sabuleti
Eufala Skipper Lerodea eufala