Utah Lepidopterists' Society

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Utah Habitats for Butterflies and Moths

Wasatch Valley Meadows--Wasatch Race Park in Lindon

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

The habitat of the vicinity of Wasatch Race Park is alfalfa fields to the immediate north, east, and west. However, if you take the adjacent dirt road just to the west of the track, and travel south, you will find a large area of wet meadows habitat that attracts, in addition to the typical species of Monarchs, common wood nymphs, and silver-spotted skippers, surprises such as the normally-montane skipper species taxiles skipper (Poanes taxiles), russet skipperling (Piruna pirus), and garita skipperling, (Oarisima garita.) Also, a recent state record was found there a few years ago when Alan Myrup discovered a colony of the European skipper (Thymelicus lineola.)

Note: This habitat location has recently been gated off with warnings of no trespassing. The owners have agreed to consider entry into this habitat by appt. only. The owner's name is Bill Fangel, (801) 420-2144. (The best time for Bill to meet people is the weekends.)

Butterfly Species Checklist For this Habitat:

Swallowtails (Family Papilionidae)

Baird's Swallowtail (Papilio bairdi)

Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus rutulus)

Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata pusillus)

Brush-footed Butterflies (Family Nymphalidae)

Field Crescent (Phyciodes pratensis camillus); Thistle Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta mylitta); Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui); West Coast Lady (Vanessa carye annabella); Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta rubria)
Satyr Comma (Polygonia satyrus satyrus): Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
Viceroy (Limenitis archippus lahontani)

Gossamer-wing Butterflies (Family Lycaenidae)

Purplish Copper (Lycaena dorcas helloides); Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus franki); Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exile); Reakirt's Blue (Hemiargus isola alce); Melissa Blue (Plebejus melissa melissa)

Milkweed Butterflies (Family Danaidae)

Monarch (Danaus plexippus); Queen (Danaus gilippus thersippus)
: Satyrs (Family Satyridae)
Common Wood Nymph (Cercyonis pegala utahensis)

Skippers (Family Hesperiidae)

Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus clarus); Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis); Taxiles Skipper (Poanes taxiles); Russet Skipperling (Piruna pirus); Garita Skipperling (Oarisma garita)
European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola)
Sandhill Skipper (Polites sabuleti sabuleti): Tawny-edged Skipper (Polites themistocles); Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides napa)
Yuma Skipper (Ochlodes yuma yuma)

Whites and Sulphurs (Family Pieridae)

Checkered White (Pieris protodice)

Western White (Pieris occidentalis)

Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)

Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice eriphyle)

Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)

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