Chlosyne nycteis

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 in Connecticut and Maine, and is believed extirpated in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.[2][3]

Silvery checkerspot
Dorsal view

Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Nymphalidae
Genus:
Chlosyne
Species:
C. nycteis
Binomial name
Chlosyne nycteis
(Doubleday, 1847)
Subspecies
  • Chlosyne nycteis drusius (Edwards, 1884)
  • Chlosyne nycteis reversa (F. & R. Chermock, 1940)
Synonyms
  • Melitaea nycteis
  • Charidryas harrisii

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, Florida, and Texas.[4][5] 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 Eurybia macrophylla, Verbesina alternifolia, Helianthus, and Rudbeckia.[6][7][8]

Adult foods

Adult foods include from nectar from Red clover, Common milkweed and Dogbane.[9]

References
  1. "NatureServe Explorer 2.0 Chlosyne nycteis Silvery Checkerspot". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  2. "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.
  3. Calhoun, John (2022). "A local irruption of Chlosyne nycteis (Nymphalidae) in Maine, with an important new food plant record". News of the Lepidopterists' Society. 64: 26–33.
  4. Calhoun, John V. (1996). "Possible relict populations of Chlosyne nycteis in the Florida panhandle (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)". Holarctic Lepidoptera. 3 (2): 69–71.
  5. Calhoun, John V. (1996). "Chlosyne nycteis is alive and apparently well in the Florida panhandle". Southern Lepidopterists' News. 18: 18–19.
  6. "Silvery Checkerspot Chlosyne nycteis (Doubleday, [1847]) | Butterflies and Moths of North America".
  7. Calhoun, John (2022). "A local irruption of Chlosyne nycteis (Nymphalidae) in Maine, with an important new food plant record". News of the Lepidopterists' Society. 64: 26–33.
  8. Calhoun, John V. (2023). "Additional records of Chlosyne nycteis (Nymphalidae) in Maine". News of the Lepidopterists' Society. 65 (1): 26–28.
  9. "Silvery Checkerspot Chlosyne nycteis (Doubleday, [1847]) | Butterflies and Moths of North America".
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