Applegater Spring 2015
Enjoy these butterflies
in flight through summer
by linda kappen
Ochre Ringlet
The Ochre Ringlet (Coenonympha
tullia), often referred to as the Common
Ringlet, is of the Nymphalidae family
of butterflies and belongs to the large
subfamily of Satyrinae.
There are at least four subspecies
and many geographical variations of the
ringlet, with colors ranging from yellow-
orange with light brown, to creamy white
with small eyespots on the wings. Locally,
I have seen a few variations with deeper
colors of yellow to orange and the softer
creamy white. The wingspan can be up to
one and a half inches.
The Ochre Ringlet’s range covers
much of the West, extending toward the
East. Ringlets fly in low to high elevations
from March to late October and are most
likely to have two broods. Larval foods for
the ringlet are native grasses, naturalized
grasses, and sedges. Larvae will overwinter
in mats of dead grasses. Nectar food for
the ringlet can be buttercups, dandelions,
alyssum, white clover, and a variety of
native and garden flowers.
Ringlets have a light or weak flight
and can be fragile to handle. They bounce
and dance lightly over grasses in open
areas looking for nectar or mates. The
children at Applegate School never tire of
netting ringlets for observation. They enjoy
looking at them, even wanting to name
them, but are encouraged to quickly let
them free because of their fragility.
I observed an Ochre Ringlet of the
creamy white variation while it sipped
nectar in its quiet way at the school’s
butterfly habitat. This small butterfly,
distinctive in its own way, is a joy to watch
as it calmly goes about its day.
Margined White
T he Mar g i n e d W hi te (Pi e r i s
marginalis) is of the Pieridae family of
butterflies. With wings open, it can
reach up to two inches across. This white
butterfly has an apricot-colored tinge with
grayish veins on its wings.
The range of the Margined White is
from Canada south to the coastal ranges
and mountain ranges of the Rockies,
Sierras, and Cascades. It likes to fly among
Williams Grange Pancake Breakfast
Second Sunday 8:30 to 11 am
Bluegrass Jam 11 am to 1 pm
March 8 (Seed Swap)
April 12
May 10 (Mother’s Day)
20100 Williams Highway, Williams • 541-846-6844 • kathybob@oigp.net
wooded streamsides, healthy forests,
roadsides, and shadier spots with
sunlight shining through treetops.
Larval foods of the Margined
White are native crucifers or members
of the mustard (Brassicae) family
of plants. The butterflies will use
nectar from dandelions, salmonberry,
coltsfoot, and mustard flowers. Eggs
are laid singly on the underside
of host plant leaves. The chrysalis
overwinters after a few broods from
spring through summer.
The Margined White can be
seen in flight from February to
October. The butterfly I encountered
was at Williams Creek Preserve, a
natural area owned by Southern
Oregon Land Conservancy that is
dappled with sunlight. The butterfly
was skittish, but returned multiple
times. Sitting very still, waiting by
the flower, I was able to photograph
this beauty on lunaria (the money
plant). It stayed drinking nectar in
the woods where the creek courses
through in winter.
Linda Kappen
humbugkapps@hotmail.com
Linda earned a naturalist certification
from Siskiyou Field Institute and hosts
two-day butterfly courses there.
13
Ochre Ringlet on showy sedum
Margined White on lunaria
Where to find more information about butterflies and moths
• Butterflies and Moths of North America
www.butterfliesandmoths.org
• Butterflies of America
http://butterfliesofamerica.com
• Monarch Butterflies in the Pacific Northwest
www.facebook.com/monarchbutterfliesinthepacificnorthwest
Butterfly photos by Linda Kappen.