silvery checkerspot | skymeadows

silvery checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis)

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.

FAMILY: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)
SUBFAMILY: True Brushfoots (Nymphalinae)

IDENTIFICATION: Upperside is pale yellow-orange with dark borders
and markings. Hindwing above and below has some white-centered
submarginal spots; hindwing below is pale with a large white crescent
at the margin.

LIFE HISTORY: Males perch and patrol all day in open areas. Females
lay eggs in batches of about 100 on the underside of host plant leaves.
Young caterpillars move in groups as they skeletonize leaves. Partially-
grown caterpillars hibernate.

FLIGHT: One brood in the north from June-July, two broods in remainder
of range from May-September. Possibly three to four broods in the Deep
South and Texas.

WING SPAN: 1 3/8 - 2 inches (3.5 - 5.1 cm).

CATERPILLAR HOSTS: Many different composites including black-eyed
susan (Rudbeckia), sunflowers (Helianthus), and wingstem (Actinomeris
alternifolia).

ADULT FOOD: Nectar from flowers of red clover, common milkweed, and
dogbane.

HABITAT: Moist, somewhat open places including streamsides, meadows,
forest openings.

RANGE: Maritime Provinces west to southeast Saskatchewan; south
through Wyoming and Colorado to central Arizona, southern New Mexico,
south-central Texas, and Mississippi.

CONSERVATION: Not usually required.

NATURESERVE GLOBAL STATUS: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally,
though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the
periphery.

MANAGEMENT NEEDS: None reported.

SKY MEADOWS OCCURRENCE:

Note: Due to seasonal conditions in this region, occurrence may vary from

year to year. The designation of occurrence may range over two or more

categories and may vary even during a single season.

Key to Checklist

A   Abundant: Easy to see very large numbers of individuals in appropriate habitat
      at proper time of year.
C   Common: Usually each to see good numbers of individuals in appropriate habitat
      at proper time of year.
U   Uncommon: Sometimes found in appropriate habitat and proper time of year,
      usually in low numbers.
O   Occasional: Found in appropriate habitat perhaps only a few times a year, usually
      in low numbers.
R   Rare: Small chance of being found, even in appropriate habitat at proper time of
      year. There are few individuals and may not be present every year.
X   Extirpated: Formerly present, no longer occurs in Sky Meadows Park.