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:
Layberry, R.A., Hall, P.W. & Lafontaine, D.J., 1998. The Butterflies of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, ON. 280 pp. Opler, Paul A. 1999. Peterson Field Guide to Western Butterflies, revised edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass. Royer, R.A. 1988. Butterflies of North Dakota. Science Monograph #1, Minot State University, Minot, North Dakota. Stanford, R.E. and P.A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of Western USA Butterflies. Privately published, Denver, Colo. Tilden, J.W. and A.C. Smith. 1986. A Field Guide to Western Butterflies. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.