Leaves look soft, but they feel very rough like sandpaper or a cat's tongue. These were almost post-bloom.
Roughleaf Aster (Eurybia radulina) Native, perennial, fire-follower plant in the Asteraceae family and the Wood Asters (Eurybia) genus that grows in maritime chaparral, dry forest, oak/pine woodland, and on brushy slopes. Stem is ascending to erect, +- densely long-soft-wavy-hairy, and grows 1--7 dm (up to 28 inches) tall. Leaves feel very rough like sandpaper or a cat's tongue (adaxially scabrous-strigose, abaxially scabrous). Leaves are long and broad, ovate or elliptic to obovate, wedge-shaped, often clasping at the base, and are coarsely toothed/serrated. Inflorescence: cyme-like, +- flat-topped. Yellow/orange disk flowers. Ray flowers are white to pale violet and usually 9-15 in number. Peak bloom time: July-August.
My favorite Roughleaf Aster (Eurybia radulina) showing
Fresh yellow disk flowers: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/237398801
Blooming profusely: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/95679424
Compare to similar looking Pacific Aster: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/237401535
Calflora (includes species distribution map in CA): https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=9494 and sightings in Monterey County: https://www.calflora.org/entry/observ.html?track=m#srch=t&lpcli=t&taxon=Eurybia+radulina&chk=t&cch=t&cnabh=t&inat=r&cc=MNT
Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=80408
Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 42-43.
Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019, p. 43.
Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 176.
Monterey County Wildflowers, Trees & Ferns https://montereywildflowers.com/asteraceae-astermisc/
(The) Monterey Pine Forest: Coastal California's Living Legacy, 2nd. ed, The Monterey Pine Forest Watch, 2018. (Excellent book).
Oregon Flora https://oregonflora.org/taxa/index.php?taxon=5125
Leaf Terminology: Diagrams/Definitions: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Leaf_morphology.svg
Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary, 2nd ed., by James Harris and M. Harris, 2022
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Sunflowers, Daisies, Asters, and Allies (Family Asteraceae)
Asteraceae family "includes over 32,000 currently accepted species, in over 1,900 genera in 13 subfamilies, worldwide. The number of species in the family Asteraceae is rivaled only by Orchids (Orchidaceae): https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/47604-Asteraceae
Subfamilies in Asteraceae family (worldwide distribution):
Barnadesioideae: 9 genera, 93 species. South America, mainly the Andes.
Famatinanthoideae: South America, 1 genus, 1 species Famatinanthus decussatus.
Mutisioideae: 58 genera, 750 species. Absent from Europe, mostly in South America.
Stifftioideae: 10 genera. South America.
Wunderlichioideae: 8 genera, 24 species. Mostly in Venezuela and Guyana.
Gochnatioideae: 4 or 5 genera, 90 species. Latin America and southern United States.
Hecastocleidoideae: Only Hecastocleis shockleyi. Southwestern United States.
Carduoideae: 83 genera, 2,500 species. Worldwide.
Pertyoideae: 5 or 6 genera, 70 species. Asia.
Gymnarrhenoideae: Two genera/species, Gymnarrhena micrantha (Northern Africa, Middle East) and Cavea tanguensis (Eastern Himalayas).
Cichorioideae: 224 genera, 3,200 species. Worldwide.
Corymbioideae: Only the genus Corymbium, with 9 species. Cape provinces, South Africa.
Asteroideae: 1,130 genera and 16,200 species. Worldwide." https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/47604-Asteraceae
Skipper resting on Manzanita shrub on rocky Chew's Ridge Rd, elevation 5000 ft.
Comparison of 3 Skippers: Lindsey's Skipper, Columbian Skipper and Rural Skipper:
Lindsey's Skipper (Hesperia lindseyi) is a small, uncommon butterfly in the Grass Skippers (Hesperiinae subfamily) with a wingspan of 1.0-1.25 inches. It has one flight, April-June. Male is orange with white fringe and a deep shadowed rectangular pit on forewing. Larval food plants include bunchgrasses. Adults nectar on thistles and composities. It is often seen in the vicinity of serpentine soils. There are several subspecies.
It looks just like this confirmed observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/148251960
Butterflies of Monterey County: A comprehensive guide to finding and identifying 91 species of butterflies in Monterey County, pp. 186-187.
eButterfly: https://www.e-butterfly.org/ebapp/en/species/profile/435
Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West: a field guide to the butterflies of western North America, by Jeffrey Glassberg, 2001, pp. 258-259.
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Columbian Skipper (Hesperia columbia) small, uncommon butterfly in the Grass Skippers (Hesperiinae subfamily) with a wingspan of 1.0-1.25 inches. It has two flights per year, April-September. Larval food plants are perennial chaparral bunchgrasses. Their habitat is mid to high elevation, chaparral and Oak Woodlands, often on serpentine soils. It is a strong hilltopper and is often found on rocky ridges and peaks.
Link to confirmed Colombian Skipper with closed wings for comparison: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/215091172
Butterflies of Monterey County: A comprehensive guide to finding and identifying 91 species of butterflies in Monterey County, pp. 184-185.
eButterfly: https://www.e-butterfly.org/ebapp/en/species/profile/434
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COMPARED TO
Rural Skipper (Ochlodes agricola) is a small butterfly in the Grass Skippers (Hesperiinae) subfamily with a wing span of 0.75-1.0 inches. It has one flight per year, April-June. Favorite Larval food plant is perennial grasses. Favorite adult nectar is California Buckeye and Buckwheat. It is found in openings in wooded canyons, mostly in the low to mid elevation foothills. It is smaller than the similar looking Woodland Skipper. The Rural Skipper usually ends its flight in late June or early July, just as the similar looking adult Woodland Skipper begins.
Butterflies of Monterey County: A comprehensive guide to finding and identifying 91 species of butterflies in Monterey County, pp. 192-193.
e-Butterfly: https://www.e-butterfly.org/ebapp/en/species/profile/458
"Adults are ochre-orange. Males have diagonal black markings on fore wings. The underside of the hind wings are solid orange or mottled with brown. Adult males display territorial behavior. Larvae (caterpillars) feed on grasses and are yellow with black lines and a black head."
Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West: a field guide to the butterflies of western North America, by Jeffrey Glassberg, 2001, pp. 272-273.
Butterflies and Moths of North America https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Ochlodes-agricola
Bug photographs from the U.S/Canada for I.D: https://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Ochlodes+agricola
Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America. Brock and Kaufman, 2003, p. 328-329.
Grass Skippers are in the Skippers (Hesperiidae) family https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass_skippers: "Most grass skippers have a rapid, darting flight. When landed, their wings are often kept completely closed, or with the hind wings more or less completely open but with the fore wings only partially opened, forming a V or U."
Rural Skipper: "Flight date is really helpful here. Rural Skipper flies mostly May-June, while Woodland Skipper flies mainly July-October. In some places (Channel Islands and a few CA coastal locations) where Rural Skipper does not occur, Woodland Skipper will fly on the early side. For example, I've seen it a few miles inland from Point Reyes in early July. But at Pinnacles National Park where both species fly, Woodland Skipper starts in August and usually peaks in September. Yuma Skipper feeds on Giant Reed and the only populations I know of anywhere near the Monterey/SF Bay Area are near Benicia and farther inland along Central Valley rivers." (per INat euproserpinus 9/9/23)
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BUTTERFLY and CATERPILLAR (Annotated References):
In California, there are about 240 species of butterflies. There are more than 3,000 species of MOTHS, which represent 4 suborders in about 50 families. Butterflies have clubbed antennae, moths do not. Many moths are nocturnal, but not all.
Field Guide to California Insects, by Kip Will, J. Gross, D. Rubinoff , J. Powell, 2nd ed., 2020 (Lepidoptera, pp. 347-426)
Butterflies of Monterey County: A comprehensive guide to finding and identifying 91 species of butterflies in Monterey County, by Chris Tenney and photograher Jan Austin, August 2023 and companion website: https://www.montereybutterflies.online/
Glossary of Butterfly (and Moth) Terminology: https://butterfly.ucdavis.edu/resources/glossary
eButterfly: (2115+ species) https://www.e-butterfly.org/ebapp/en/observations/explore
BugGuide: Butterflies and Moths (U.S. and Canada) clickable categories or use search bar: https://bugguide.net/node/view/57
Butterfly Wing Areas and Body Parts (diagram)
Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West: a field guide to the butterflies of western North America, by Jeffrey Glassberg, 2001, p. 40.
Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West: a field guide to the butterflies of western North America, by Jeffrey Glassberg, 2001
Butterflies and Moths of North America https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species_search
Butterflies of Central and Northern California, a laminated pamphlet (guide to common and notable species) by Jim Brock, 2023
Caterpillar Anatomy diagram and Butterfly Basics: https://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterfly/activities/printouts/caterpillarprintout.shtml Life Cycle of a Butterfly: Egg --> Larva (the caterpillar) --> Pupa (the chrysalis or cocoon) --> Adult.
Caterpillars: INaturalist Project https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/california-caterpillars