A fresh California Tortoiseshell rivals the spectacular Green Comma for beauty. The first one you see is just amazing. Then you see another, then another, then another dozen, then a hundred. After a while you can get jaded to their beauty. In boom years, it's by far the most common butterfly in the area. I saw more than 10 times as many as the next most abundant species.

Mt. Hood, Clackamas Co., OR 8/8/06.

Jefferson Co., OR 8/1/06.

The dorsal side is bright orange and black.

Jefferson Co., OR 8/1/06.

Most of the ones I saw looked about this dark. The undersides in the other photos here are brightened a bit by the camera's flash.

Jefferson Co., OR 8/2/06.

Mt. Hood, Clackamas Co., OR 8/7/06.

Mt. Hood, Clackamas Co., OR 8/8/06.

Pupa.

Jefferson Co., OR 8/1/06.