The six families of butterflies include: Swallowtails, Whites and Sulphurs, Hairstreaks and Blues, Metalmarks, Nymphalids and the Skippers.

Butterfly counts: 2023 Pt Reyes | 2022 Marin; Pt. Reyes | 2021 Marin | Pt. Reyes; 2020 Marin; 2019 Marin

The Swallowtails Family – Papilionidae

Anise Swallowtail – Papilio zelicaon | Rock Spring | May
Anise Swallowtail | Angel Island | June
Pale Swallowtail | Angel Island | June
Pipevine Swallowtail | Tiburon | April
Pipevine Swallowtail | Angel Island | June
Pipevine Swallowtail |Tiburon | May
Pipevine Swallowtail | Bolinas Ridge Trail | June
Pipevine Swallowtail | Pt Reyes | June
Pipevine Swallowtail chrysalis
Pipevine Swallowtail eggs
Western Tiger Swallowtail Papilio rutulus | Tiburon | May

The Whites & Sulphurs Family – (Pieridae)

Whites (Subfamily Pierinae)

Cabbage White Pieris rapae (non-native) | Muddy Hollow | August
Margined White Pieris marginalis | Mt. Tam | April
Margined White Pieris marginalis | Lucas Valley | February
Margined White Pieris marginalis | Mt Tamalpais | May

Sulphurs (Subfamily Coliadinae)

California Dogface Zerene eurydice | Rock Spring Trail | October
California Dogface Zerene eurydice | Kent Pump Road | May
Orange Sulphur | Mt. Tam | October

Hairstreaks and Blues Family – Lycaenidae

Blues (Subfamily Polyommatinae)

Acmon Blue | Pt Reyes | July
Acmon Blue | Tomales Bay | June
Acmon Blue | Cascade Canyon | June
Acmon Blue | Cascade Canyon | June
Boisduval’s Blue – Icaricia icarioides | Muddy Hollow Trail, Pt. Reyes | May
Echo Azure | Indian Valley College Open Space | April
Silvery Blue | Deer Park | March
Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus | Audubon Canyon Ranch | June
Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus | Larkspur | September

The Metalmarks Family – (Riodinidae)


The Brushfoots Family – Nymphalids (Nymphalidae)

Heliconians and Fritillaries (Subfamily Heliconiinae)

Gulf Fritillary – Agraulis vanillae | Novato | June
Zerene Fritillary – Speyeria zerene puntareyes on Sneezeweed | Estero Trail | July
Myrtle’s Silverspot – Speyeria zerene myrtleae| Bull Point, Pt. Reyes | July

True Brush-foots (Subfamily Nymphalinae)

Checkerspots Tribe Melitaeini | Lucas Valley | April
Northern Checkerspot – Chlosyne palla | Indian Valley Open Space Preserve | May
Northern Checkerspot – Chlosyne palla | Indian Valley Open Space Preserve | May
Variable Checkerspot Euphydryas chalcedona | Kent Pump Road | May
Variable Checkerspot Euphydryas chalcedona | Alpine Dam | May
Variable Checkerspot Euphydryas chalcedona | Marinwood | May
Variable Checkerspot Euphydryas chalcedona | Blithedale Canyon | March
Field Crescent – Pycoides campestris | Muddy Hollow Trail, Pt. Reyes | May
Mylitta Crescent – Phyciodes mylitta | Pt Reyes | July
Mylitta Crescent – Phyciodes mylitta | Ring Mountain | June
Mylitta Crescent – Phyciodes mylitta | Muddy Hollow | June
Mylitta Crescent | Olema | September
Mourning Cloak ( Nymphalis antiopa ) | Blackstone Canyon | July
Mourning Cloak ( Nymphalis antiopa ) | Blackstone Canyon | July
Mourning Cloak ( Nymphalis antiopa ) | Lucas Valley | September
California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica | Lucas Valley | March
American Lady – Vanessa virginiensis | Palomarin Trail | July
American Lady – Vanessa virginiensis | Palomarin Trail | November
Painted Lady | Marin Headlands | May
Painted Lady | Mt. Tam | May
Painted Lady | Estero Trail | July
Painted Lady on Italian Thistle
Painted Lady
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta | Steep Ravine | February
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta | Palomarin/Coast Trail | November
Red Admiral | Hidden Valley Trail | June
Buckeye Junonia coenia | Indian Valley Open Space Preserve | May
Buckeye Junonia coenia | Audubon Canyon Ranch | June
Buckeye Junonia coenia | Angel Island | June
Buckeye Junonia coenia | Elliott Nature Preserve | June

Admirals and Relatives (Subfamily Limenitidinae)

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini |Novato | May
Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini | Lucas Valley | July
California Sister – Adelpha californica | Rock Spring | May
California Sister – Adelpha californica | Rock Spring | May
California Sister – Adelpha californica | Mt Tamalpais | May

Satyrs (Subfamily Satyrinae)

Common Ringlet | Muddy Hollow Trail, Pt. Reyes | May
Common Ringlet – Coenonympha tullia | Mt. Burdell | April
Common Woodnymph – Cercyonis pegala | Estero Trail | July

Monarch (Subfamily Danainae)

Monarch | Pt. Reyes | September
Monarch | Bolinas | January
Monarch | Bolinas | January

The Skippers Family (Hesperidae)

Spread-wing Skippers (Subfamily Pyrginae)

Northern Cloudywing -Thorybes pylades | Kent Pump Road | April
Propertius Duskywing – Erynnis propertius | Mt. Burdell | April

Grass Skippers (Subfamily Hesperiiane)

Silver-spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarus | Elliott Nature Preserve | June
Rural Skipper Ochlodes agricola | Fairfax | June
Umber Skipper Lon melane | Muddy Hollow | June
Umber Skipper Poanes melane | Wolf Ridge Trail, Mill Valley | April
Umber Skipper Poanes melane | Big Trees Trail, Novato | May
Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides | Elliott Nature Preserve | June