The central Great Basin is a region of climatic extremes that supports a biota that rarely has been characterized. The natural history of the butterfly fauna of the centrally located Toiyabe Range, one of the most spectacular mountain ranges in that region, yields insights into both the typical species composition of interior montane landscapes and the susceptibility of such biotas to anthropogenic disturbance and climate change. Over the past 60 years, 72 resident and 27 nonresident butterfly

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... pecies have been recorded from the Toiyabe Range. Species richness, local distribution, and life history characteristics of Toiyabe Range butterflies are discussed in the context of historic and modern biogeography, climate, and habitat variability. Species presence records for 30 canyons within the Toiyabe Range are summarized. Photographs of butterflies characteristic of the central Great Basin are presented.