Bug FAQMacoun's Arctic
Oeneis macounii · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
Macoun's Arctic (Oeneis macounii) is a North American butterfly with a wingspan of 46 to 65 mm. Adults appear once a year from early June to early July, with timing that alternates by year in different parts of its range.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Macoun's Arctic, scientific name Oeneis macounii, belongs to the Satyrinae subfamily of butterflies.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from about 46 mm to 65 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in forest openings with western jack pine or lodgepole pine and on rocky ridges within spruce forests.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is a single generation each year, with adults flying from early June to early July. East of southeastern Manitoba, adults appear only in even-numbered years, while westward populations fly in odd-numbered years.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from early June through early July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
This butterfly is found in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It can be confused with the Great Arctic (O. nevadensis) or the Chryxus Arctic (O. chryxus).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 8 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Minnesota, California, Oregon, Colorado, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
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 can I see Macoun's Arctic butterflies?
Adults are on the wing from early June to early July.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations does this butterfly have each year?
There is one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does Macoun's Arctic live?
It inhabits openings in western jack pine or lodgepole pine forests and rocky ridges in spruce forests.
Source: Wikipedia
What other butterflies look like Macoun's Arctic?
It may be mistaken for the Great Arctic (O. nevadensis) or the Chryxus Arctic (O. chryxus).
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oeneis_macounii
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.