Bug FAQOeneis tanana
Oeneis tanana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
Oeneis tanana, the Tanana Arctic, is a Satyrinae butterfly found only in Alaska’s Tanana River valley, where it lives in clearings of boreal spruce forests. Its larvae likely feed on grasses and sedges, adults may sip nectar, and the species needs two seasonal cycles to develop before emerging as adults in odd-numbered years, flying from mid-May to early July. It is thought to be a hybrid of Oeneis bore and O. chryxus, which can lead to confusion with those species.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Oeneis tanana, known as the Tanana Arctic, belongs to the Satyrinae subfamily.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in clearings within boreal spruce forests. Its distribution is limited to the Tanana River valley in Alaska.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Its larvae probably feed on grasses and sedges. Adults of related species sip nectar.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Caterpillars need two seasonal cycles to reach full development. Adults appear only in odd-numbered years.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from mid-May to early July, with a peak in mid-June.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is found only in Alaska and is thought to be the state’s sole endemic butterfly.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It may be a hybrid of Oeneis bore and O. chryxus, which can cause identification confusion.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Alaska.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
Questions people ask
When can I see this butterfly?
Adults fly from mid-May through early July, most commonly in mid-June.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does Oeneis tanana live?
It inhabits clearings in boreal spruce forests of the Tanana River valley in Alaska.
Source: Wikipedia
Is this butterfly a hybrid?
It is speculated to be a hybrid of Oeneis bore and O. chryxus.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oeneis_tanana
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.