This is the signature butterfly of the alpine zone in the Sierra Nevada. Castle and Basin Peaks are near its northern limit, which appears to be Mount Lola, a few miles farther north. The Ivallda Arctic is extremely cryptic at rest on the ground; if startled it flies briefly, then lands again and disappears. The male has a rather pointed forewing amnd a greenish stigma in the middle of the wing. The female is larger, with more rounded wings and usually two large eyespots; it lacks the stigma.