Macoun's Arctic (Oeneis macounii [W. H. Edwards])
Wing span: 2 1/4 - 2 3/4 inches (5.7 - 7 cm).
Identification: Upperside is bright orange-brown with black borders on both wings. Two black eyespots on forewing, one on hindwing. Male lacks a patch of black scales on the forewing. Underside of hindwing is cloudy gray with a distinct dark median band.
Life history: Males perch in glades to watch for receptive females. Caterpillars require 2 years to complete development; hibernating as young caterpillars the first winter, and as mature ones the second winter.
Flight: One brood from early June to early July. East of southeast Manitoba, adults fly in even-numbered years; westward, in odd-numbered years.
Caterpillar hosts: Probably sedges (Carex species).
Adult food: Occasionally flower nectar.
Habitat: Openings in forests of western jack or lodgepole pine.
Range: Across southern Canada from British Columbia through the prairie provinces to northern Minnesota, northern Michigan, and central Ontario.
