Great Arctic
Oeneis nevadensis
The photos on this page show the upperwings
of a great arctic as seen along the Island Springs Trail #66 atop the Island,
a ridge on the eastern slopes of Mt. Adams.................August 12, 2006.
Both the upper and lower surfaces of the forewing bear two eyespots, partially
visible in these photos.
The photo above shows a great arctic hiding amongst grasses.
Because of the grayish-brown coloration of the underwings, this butterfly is
very hard to see before they dart into the air to avoid being stepped on. They
then fly strongly away, often landing amongst grass or on downed logs where
they again escape detection. They can be seen early in May on the southeastern
flanks of Mt. Adams until late August at higher elevations.
Paul Slichter