Harris' Checkerspot (Chlosyne harrisii [Scudder])
Wing span: 1 7/16 - 2 inches (3.6 - 5.1 cm).
Identification: Upperside is orange with black markings. Underside of hindwing has a red-orange stripe at the margin and a red-orange, white, and black checkered pattern on remainder of wing.
Life history: Females lay eggs in clusters under host plant leaves. Caterpillars feed on leaves communally in a web. Partially-grown caterpillars hibernate at the base of the host plant.
Flight: One brood from June-July.
Caterpillar hosts: Flat-topped white aster (Aster umbellatus).
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Moist areas such as marshes, bog edges, pastures, and meadows.
Range: Maritime Provinces west to Manitoba, south to West Virginia, southern Ohio, and northeastern Illinois.
Conservation: Not usually required.
The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management needs: None reported.
References:
Opler, P. A. and G. O. Krizek. 1984. Butterflies east of the Great Plains. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 294 pages, 54 color plates. Opler, P. A. and V. Malikul. 1992. A field guide to eastern butterflies. Peterson field guide #4. Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston. 396 pages, 48 color plates. Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.
Author: Jane M. Struttmann
State and Regional References:
Opler, P.A. 1998. A field guide to eastern butterflies, revised format. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. Sedman, Y. and Hess, D.F. 1985. The Butterflies of West Central Illionois. Series in the Biological Sciences No. 11. Western Illinois Univ., Macomb, IL. 118 pp.