occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) Much of western and northern North America. Specifically, British Columbia south to central California and east to Iowa and across Canada, but eastward south regularly only into northern New England (especially northern New Hampshire), northern New York, northern Great Lakes region and very sporadically farther south with dubious reports to southern Pennsylvania, but with a few authentic, mostly pre-1950, records for northern Pennsylvania, extreme northern New Jersey and Connecticut. Also occurs disjunctly in Appalachian Mountains from West Virginia to Georgia (subspecies SMYTHI).

Comments: A species of boreal and "Canadian Zone" forests, typically mixtures of spruce, fir, or hemlock and northern hardwoods, northward sometimes mainly spruce-fir. Adults are most often seen along streams, roadsides, sipping moisture from dirt roads or in glades or outcrops. Not regularly seen in the east south of where spruce and fir are common or below about 800 meters in the Appalachians, although it sometimes is seen lower in in cool cove forests. Reports from hot deciduous forests (e.g. around Philadelphia) are apparently in error.

Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

While several species in this and related genera are somewhat to strongly migratory there is no evidence that this one is. There are no records far outside of its usual range, although it did formerly turn up farther south than it does now.

Comments: Adults do not often visit flowers but seem to sip minerals from moist soil and are known to feed on sap, and probably rotting fruit and dung. The larval foodplants are not well documented in much of the range, but seem to generally be birches, alders, and willows. Others have been reported.

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: > 300

100,000 to >1,000,000 individuals

Comments: Definitely single brooded with adults overwintering northward. Adults are usually seen from July into September, and in late April to early June northward. Adults are usually seen in about late June-July, late August to early October, and in April-May in the southern Appalachians. Allen (1997) is very likely correct in his interpretation of these dates as representing one brood with adults aestivating for a month or two before becoming active again in fall. Adults overwinter and do not appear to remain active late into fall. Larvae occur early in the season and are probably mature in June or early July in most places.

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Reasons: This species as a whole is widespread, although generally somewhat uncommon, in boreal and "Canadian Zone" regions. It is still found widely in parts of Canada where it is considered secure in several large provinces, and the western United States, but its eastern US range has apparently contracted, or at least adults do not show up now with any regularity in places like southern New York, New Jersey, northeastern Pennsylvania, and most of Massachusetts, although some old records (e.g. in southeastern Pennsylvania) were known or likely errors. Still this decline is not of sufficient magnitude to raise concern for the species as a whole. The southern Appalachian subspecies may be in trouble, and has never been considered common.

Intrinsic Vulnerability: Not intrinsically vulnerable

Environmental Specificity: Moderate. Generalist or community with some key requirements scarce.

Global Short Term Trend: Decline of 10-30%

Comments: General agreement that Appalachian subspecies is declining, and likely it is declining slowly in other eastern US parts of the range.

Global Long Term Trend: Increase of 10-25% to decline of 50%

Comments: has decline in some parts of northeastern USA, but this is a peripheral part of range. Subspecies faunus does not occur as far south now as it used to. Subspecies smythi generally considered to be declining.

Degree of Threat: D : Unthreatened throughout its range, communities may be threatened in minor portions of the range or degree of variation falls within natural variation

Biological Research Needs: Monitor status of southern Appalachian subspecies SMYTHI.

Global Protection: Very many (>40) occurrences appropriately protected and managed

Comments: Includes P. hylas and P. silvius, formerly considered separate species as subspecies. However. taxonomy does not affect ranks since subspecies itself is T5. See separate documentation (EGR, CAG) for subspecies P. f. smythi.