Chlosyne nycteis
| Silvery checkerspot | |
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| Dorsal view | |
| File:Chlosyne nycteis.jpg | |
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| Species: | C. nycteis
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| Binomial name | |
| Chlosyne nycteis (Doubleday, 1847))
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Chlosyne nycteis, the silvery checkerspot, is a species of Nymphalinae butterfly that occurs in North America. It is listed as a species of special concern and believed extirpated in the US state of Connecticut.[1]
Description
Adult
The dorsal view is pale yellow orange with dark borders and markings. The hindwing has white-centered submarginal spots on both sides, dorsal and ventral. The hindwing is pale and has a white crescent at the margin.
Caterpillar
The caterpillar is almost all black with dusted white spots. Sometimes, it has a yellow-orange stripe or two smaller stripes along the side. The family Nymphalidae is known for its branched spines.
Range and habitat
Their range consist of southern Canada south to Georgia and Texas, but does not occur in the Gulf Coastal Plain. Silvery checkerspots enjoy moist areas such as streamsides. They can also be seen in meadows and forest openings.
Lifecycle
In the northern portion of its habitat, one brood hatches between June and July; for the remainder of its range, two broods occur from May to September. Three broods have been reported in the deep southern part of Texas. Females lay eggs in batches which can be up to 100 individuals. Early instar caterpillars stay in groups as they skeletonize leaves while the third instar hibernates.
Larval foods
Larval foods are various Asters, including Actinomeris alternifolia, Helianthus and Rudbeckia.[2]
Adult foods
Adult foods include from nectar from Red clover, Common milkweed and Dogbane.[3]
References
- ^ "Connecticut's Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Species 2015". State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Bureau of Natural Resources. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
- ^ https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Chlosyne-nycteis
- ^ https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Chlosyne-nycteis
- "Species Chlosyne nycteis - Silvery Checkerspot - BugGuide.net". Retrieved 2008-11-19.
- "Chlosyne Butler, 1870" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Accessed 2017-04-07
- "Species Detail Butterflies and Moths of North America". Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- Silvery Checkerspot, Butterflies of Ontario