The Olympia Marble is a small, delicate butterfly with a wingspan ranging from one and a half to two inches. The upper side of the wings is a soft cream or white, often accented by subtle black markings near the forewing tips. The underside of the hindwings features beautiful yellow-green marbling that helps camouflage the butterfly when it rests among foliage.
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Olympia Marble Facts
Butterfly Family: Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
Butterfly Subfamily: Pierinae
Butterfly Wingspan: 1 3/8 – 2 inches
Butterfly Habitat: Various open areas including prairies, foothills, lakeshore dunes, shale barrens, meadows, and open woodlands
🪴 Host Plants
These are the plants where females lay eggs and caterpillars feed:
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Rock Cress (Arabis spp.)
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Toothwort (Cardamine spp.)
🌸 Nectar Plants
Adult Olympia Marble butterflies feed on nectar from a variety of native flowers:
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Bluets (Houstonia caerulea)
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Chickweed (Stellaria media)
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Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea)
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Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans)
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Phlox (Phlox paniculata or P. divaricata)
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Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides)
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Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica)
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Violets (Viola spp.)
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Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)