Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Alberta Arctic
Oeneis alberta Elwes, 1893


Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Satyrinae
Identification: Upperside is light yellow-gray. Underside is light brown; forewing has a postmedian line bent sharply at the end of the cell; hindwing has a sharp-edged dark median band.
Wing Span: 1 3/8 - 2 1/4 inches (3.5 - 5.7 cm).
Life History: Males perch and patrol all day on bunchgrass-covered slopes. Caterpillars probably hibernate in their fourth stage.
Flight: One brood from May-June.
Caterpillar Hosts: Bunchgrass, possibly Festuca.
Adult Food: Not reported.
Habitat: Virgin prairie, dry bunchgrass hills.
Range: Canadian prairie provinces east to southern Manitoba. Isolated populations along the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.
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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