University of Alberta Museums Search

Our largest species of arctic. Upperside bright rust-brown with a dark brown border, and usually two forewing eyespots. The underside has a striated brown-black and white appearance, with a loose and poorly defined median band. In Alberta, only O. chryxus chryxus is similar, but male chryxus have a dark forewing discal patch and are slightly smaller. Female chryxus have at least three rather than two equal-sized forewing eyespots. There are no described subspecies.

Macoun's Arctic requires two years to complete its life cycle, and flies only in alternate years in most localities. Boreal populations fly mostly in odd-numbered years (Hooper 1973, Bird et al. 1995). Mountain populations are not entirely synchronous with boreal ones, since they fly in both odd- and even-numbered years. Adults have a characteristic leisurely, hopping flight, and males perch on tree branches at the edge of clearings to await passing females.