The Oregon silverspot butterfly (Speyeria zerene hippolyta) is a medium-sized butterfly, predominantly orange and brown with black veins and spots on its hindwings and bright silver spots on its forewings. The length of its forewings is about 1.1 in (2.9 cm). The female is usually slightly larger than the male. This butterfly is listed as threatened by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and has been protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1980.

Inhabiting a very restricted range, the Oregon silverspot occurs only in salt spray meadows along the Pacific coast in Oregon and Washington. This habitat is characterized by heavy rainfall, fog, and mild temperatures. The most critical feature of this habitat, however, is the presence of the western blue violet (Viola adunca), the host plant of the butterfly's larva. For two months each spring, larval Oregon silverspots feed on violet leaves before entering...