Bug FAQOlympia Marble
Euchloe olympia · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Pieridae
Also called: Olympia Marblewing
The Olympia marble is a butterfly that belongs to the Pieridae family. It lives in dry clearings, prairies and chaparral foothills across southern Canada, the Midwest and the southwestern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on several Brassicaceae plants such as Arabis species and Descurainia pinnata. Adults commonly nectar on Lepidium virginicum as larvae and on Nuttallanthus canadensis as adults.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
It has a single flight period, and males patrol hilltops to find females.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is closely related to other Nearctic Euchloe species, such as E. guaymasensis, which can look similar.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 28 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Illinois, Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants do Olympia marble caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on Brassicaceae plants like various Arabis species and Descurainia pinnata.
Source: Wikipedia
What flowers do adult Olympia marbles visit for nectar?
Adults commonly nectar on Lepidium virginicum as larvae and on Nuttallanthus canadensis as adults.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see Olympia marbles in flight?
They have a single flight period during which males patrol hilltops to locate females.
Source: Wikipedia
What other butterflies might be confused with Olympia marbles?
They can be mistaken for other Nearctic Euchloe species, such as E. guaymasensis.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Pieridae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euchloe_olympia
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.