Variable Checkerspot | |
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E. chalcedona in William O. Douglas Wilderness | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Nymphalidae |
Genus: | Euphydryas |
Species: | E. chalcedona |
Binomial name | |
Euphydryas chalcedona (Doubleday, 1847) |
The Variable Checkerspot or Chalcedon Checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona) is a species of butterfly, common in western North America from Alaska to Baja California and from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. A highly variable species, the wing upper surface is black to dark brown. The forewing is narrow and pointed compared to similar species. The wingspan is 32 millimetres (1.3 in) – 57 millimetres (2.2 in).[1][2]
Adult butterflies feed on nectar from flowers. Caterpillars feed on a variety of plants including snowberry (Symphoricarpos), paintbrush (Castilleja) and Buddleja.
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Euphydryas_chalcedona Variable Checkerspot] at Wikimedia Commons