Bug FAQCommon Alpine
Erebia epipsodea · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
It lives across North America from Alaska through the Rockies to northern New Mexico and east to southwest Manitoba. Adults fly from mid-June to early August, while the caterpillars eat various grasses.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Erebia epipsodea, called the common alpine, belongs to the Satyrinae subfamily of the Nymphalidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 34 to 45 mm (1.3 to 1.8 in).
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on a variety of grass species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from mid-June to early August.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
You will see adults flying between mid-June and early August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to North America, spanning from Alaska to New Mexico and into the Canadian prairie provinces.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
A similar species is Vidler's alpine (Erebia vidleri).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 11 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, New Mexico, Washington.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are common alpine butterflies active?
Adults are active from mid-June through early August.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erebia_epipsodea
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.