California Tortoiseshell
Nymphalis californica
Jun – Sep
An orange butterfly with black spots and a bark-brown underside whose numbers boom in some summers, filling mountain slopes.
Clodius Parnassian
Parnassius clodius
Jun – Aug
A large white butterfly with gray bars and two red spots on each hindwing that patrols mountain meadows and open woods in…
Echo Azure
Celastrina echo
Apr – Jul
A small, pale blue butterfly of streams and shrubby trail edges, flying from late winter into fall. Its underside is chalky gray…
Goldenrod Crab Spider
Misumena vatia
May – Aug
A small white or yellow spider that waits on flowers to ambush bees and flies, changing color to match its blossom.
Lorquin’s Admiral
Limenitis lorquini
May – Aug
A black butterfly with a white band and orange-brown wingtips that patrols streamsides, chasing off other butterflies.
Seven-spotted Lady Beetle
Coccinella septempunctata
Mar – Oct
A large red-orange lady beetle with seven black spots and a pale spot on each side of the head, brought from Europe…
Snowberry Checkerspot
Euphydryas colon
Jun – Jul
A black butterfly checkered with ivory and red spots, seen in mountain meadows and open woods where its caterpillars feed on snowberry.