Common names: Silvery Checkerspot

The Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) is a species of Nymphalinae

Nymphalinae

Nymphalinae is a subfamily of brush-footed butterflies . Sometimes, the Limenitidinae are included here as further tribe, while the Melitaeini are occasionally considered a distinct subfamily.- Systematics:...

 that occurs in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

.

Description

Adult
The dorsal view is pale yellow-orange with dark borders and markings. The hindwing has a 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 they have a yellow-orange stripe or two smaller stripes along the side. The Nymphalidae

Nymphalidae

The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...

 family is known for its branched spines.

Range & Habitat

Their range consist of southern Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 south to Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

 and Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, but does not occur in the Costal Plains. Silvery Checkerspots enjoy moist areas such as streamsides, they can also be seen in meadows and forest openings.

Life cycle

In the northern portion of its habitat there is one brood between June and July, for the remainder of its range there are two broods from May to September. There have often been recorded three broods in the deep southern part of Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. Females lay eggs in batches which there can be up to 100 individuals. Early instar caterpillars stay in groups as they skeletonize leaves while the third-instar hibernates.

Adult foods

• Nectar
• Red Clover
• Common Milkweed
  Common Milkweed
  Asclepias syriaca, commonly called Common Milkweed, Butterfly flower, Silkweed, Silky Swallow-wort, Virginia Silkweed, is a herbaceous plant species. It is in the genus Asclepias, making it a type of milkweed. This species is native to most of North America east of the Rocky Mountains, excluding...
  
  
• Dogbane
  Apocynum
  Apocynum, commonly known as Dogbane and Indian Hemp, is a genus of the plant family of the Apocynaceae with seven species. From the Greek: apo, away; cyno, dog, attributed to its toxicity...