Utah Habitats for Butterflies and Moths

Wasatch Canyons--Taylor Canyon in Ogden

 

1. Wasatch Canyons 2. Wasatch Valley Riparian 3. Wasatch Valley Meadows 4. Wasatch Hilltops 5. Arctic Alpine 6. Basin & Range Province 7. Canyon Country 8. Montane 9. Utah's Dixie

Nestled just to the East of Weber State University and downtown Ogden, Taylor Canyon offers a wide variety of activities for naturalists from rock climbing to collecting butterflies and moths.  Like other Wasatch Front Canyons, Taylor Canyon is a dry canyon with males of many species of butterflies patrolling up and down the dry wash and nearby road.

During the warmth of mid-April, several butterfly species of swallowtails, blues, and whites emerge, and begin to fly.  These species include the Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon nitra,) Spring White (Pieris sisymbri sisymbri,) Utah Stella Orangetip (Anthocharis stella browningi,) Large Marble (Euchloe ausonides coloradensis,) Yellow Sulphur (Colias philodice eriphyle,) Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus oro,) and Thistle Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta mylitta.)   Because of the extensive outcropping of rocks in nearby cliffs in Taylor Canyon, the Utah Stella Orange-tip flies well because of the many species of Arabis that grow there.  In some isolated pockets of the canyon, in mid-April, one can also find populations of Callophrys sheridani neoperplexa (Sheridan's Green Hairstreak).

Towards the end of April, skippers such as the Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo burgessi,) Rocky Mountain Duskywing (Erynnis telemachus,) the Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis,) and the Juba Skipper (Hesperia juba) start flying.  

During the last couple of springs, (2004-2005), adults of the Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole) have been flying in the canyon.

A special note about the Spring White (Pieris sisymbri sisymbri:)  You need to climb a little to some of Taylor Canyon's trails along the side of the mountain to find adults of this butterfly ascending towards the top.  As you do so, you may find a few males of the Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon nitra,) behaving similarly.

Other species that start flying in early May, whose males do fly right along this dry canyon are the Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata pusillus,) Melissa Blue (Plebejus melissa melissa,) Sagebrush Checkerspot (Chlosyne acastus acastus,) Field Crescent (Phyciodes pulchella camillus.)  If you look along some of the hiking/biking trails of Taylor Canyon, you will also occasionally run into Euphydryas anicia maria (Variable Checkerspots) as well as Everes amyntula (Western Tailed Blue.)

Towards the end of May, other species that may start flying along the canyon is the Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus rutulus,) Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus franki,) Coronis Fritillary (Speyeria coronis snyderi,) Callippe Fritillary (Speyeria callippe harmonia,) Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui,) Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta rubria,) Weidemeyer's Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyeri latifascia,) and the Common Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia brenda.)

During the month of June, other species of fritillaries begin to fly such as the Great Basin Fritillary (Speyeria egleis utahensis,) Northwestern Fritillary (Speyeria hesperis wasatchia,) which fly along with the Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta.)   

Butterfly Species Checklist For Taylor Canyon:

All images of Limenitis weidemeyeri on the ULS Info Bar courtesy Jay Cossey

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