Great Arctic
Oeneis nevadensis (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1867)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Satyrinae
Identification: Upperside is yellowish-tan with brown borders; forewing has 1 or 2 eyespots, hindwing usually has 1 spot. Male forewing has a long patch of dark sex scales. Underside of forewing is similar to the upperside; hindwing is mottled gray and brown with an indistinct median band.
Wing Span: 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 inches (5.7 - 6.3 cm).
Life History: Males perch all day in valley glades and on hilltops to seek females. Eggs are laid on dry grasses. Caterpillars require 2 years to complete development; hibernating as young caterpillars the first winter, and as mature ones the second winter. Pupation takes place at roots of grasses or under rocks.
Flight: One brood from May-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: Probably grasses.
Adult Food: Not reported.
Habitat: Coniferous forest openings, rocky hills, and meadow edges in the mountains.
Range: Vancouver Island, British Columbia south in the Cascade Mountains and the Sierra Nevada to Tulare County, California; south along the coast to Sonoma County, California.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 137 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 13, 1982
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 06, 2025
Observation date: Jun 15, 2025
Submitted by: gp
Region: Lane County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 16, 2025
Observation date: Jun 14, 2025
Submitted by: Luna-Linuche.76
Region: Klamath County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 15, 2025
Observation date: Jul 01, 2024
Submitted by: dfagan746
Region: Deschutes County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 03, 2024
Observation date: Jun 24, 2023
Submitted by: Dnewhall
Region: Jackson County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 29, 2023
Observation date: Jul 01, 2018
Submitted by: LunaLT
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 23, 2022
Observation date: Jun 30, 2020
Submitted by: HMBBirder
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
Observation date: Aug 08, 2022
Submitted by: Lupine1
Region: Pierce County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 09, 2022
Observation date: Jun 22, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Klickitat County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 30, 2022
Observation date: Jun 15, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Jackson County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 19, 2021
Observation date: Jun 17, 2021
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 15, 2021
Observation date: Jul 06, 2019
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Josephine County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 29, 2021
Observation date: Jul 06, 2019
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Josephine County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 29, 2021
Observation date: Jul 16, 2021
Submitted by: tsimpson
Region: Klamath County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 22, 2021
Observation date: Jul 09, 2021
Submitted by: mbalame99
Region: Clatsop County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 27, 2021
Observation date: Aug 18, 2020
Submitted by: regina rochefort
Region: Pierce County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 24, 2020
Observation date: Jun 30, 2020
Submitted by: aulljon
Region: Butte County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 01, 2020
Observation date: Jun 29, 2020
Submitted by: Zach Eckert
Region: Kittitas County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 29, 2020
Observation date: Jun 11, 2020
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Plumas County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 18, 2020
Observation date: Jul 22, 2019
Submitted by: mbalame99
Region: Clatsop County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 16, 2019
Observation date: Jul 06, 2019
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Josephine County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 14, 2019
Observation date: Jun 12, 2017
Submitted by: moralea
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Jul 06, 2017
Submitted by: mbalame99
Region: Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 10, 2018
Observation date: Jul 28, 2018
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Pierce County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 29, 2018
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