Oregon Silverspot
Conservation Status
Threatened
The Oregon silverspot butterfly is in the Heliconiinae (Fritillary) subfamily, which consists of medium and large sized butterflies with distinctive black line and dot patterning on bright orange dorsally, and a heavily-patterned ventrum with silvery orbs (genus Argynnis : greater fritillaries) or muted colored triangles (genus Boloria: lesser fritillaries). The Oregon silverspot is part of the greater fritillaries (genus Argynnis ) that complete a single life cycle annually (univoltine)
Map
White indicates species location.
White indicates species location.
Beneficial Plants
Early Blue Violet
Like other fritillaries, Oregon silverspot butterfly are sedentary butterflies and do not migrate; instead, the species inhabits sites year-round (as egg, larva, pupa and adult). The Oregon silverspot butterfly uses open, short-stature grasslands in coastal dunes, bluffs, and nearby forest glades. Habitat studies have been conducted for this butterfly on the remaining sites in Oregon; early blue violet is the sole hostplant for this butterfly, and females selected patches with more than 20 plants per square yard for egg-laying sites. Although the Oregon silverspot butterfly has been extirpated from Washington, WDFW has led habitat restoration efforts on coastal sites in Pacific County in preparation for future butterfly reintroductions.