Attributes of Euphydryas phaeton
Baltimore Checkerspot
Euphydryas phaeton (Drury, 1773)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Geographically variable. Upperside is black with red-orange crescents on outer margins of both wings and rows of creamy white spots inward.
Wing Span: 1 3/4 - 2 3/4 inches (4.5 - 7 cm).
Life History: Males perch near the ground to find females. Eggs are laid in groups of 100-700 under host plant leaves. Newly-hatched caterpillars move to the tip of the plant and feed together in a web which is enlarged downward as the caterpillars consume more of the plant. These caterpillars suffer high mortality from falling off the plant and from parasitism by wasps. Fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate in rolled leaves on the ground.
Flight: One brood; from May-June in the south, June-August in the north.
Caterpillar Hosts: Plants where eggs are laid and that caterpillars eat before hibernating are turtlehead (Chelone glabra), hairy beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus), English plantain (Plantago lanceolata), and false foxglove (Aureolaria). After overwintering, caterpillars may continue to use these plants, but may also wander and feed on unrelated plants including arrowwood (Viburnum recognitum), common lousewort (Pedicularis canadensis), Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), and white ash (Fraxinus americana).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of milkweed, viburnum, and wild rose.
Habitat: Wet meadows, bogs, and marshes in the northeast part of the range; dry open or wooded hillsides in the southwest.
Range: Very local. Nova Scotia west across the Great Lakes region to southeast Manitoba; south through the eastern United States to northern Georgia, northern Mississippi, and northeast Oklahoma. Isolated records in northeast Texas and Nebraska.
Conservation: Some regional populations may be declining.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Euphydryas phaeton
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The map below displays all verified sighting records in the BAMONA database for this species. Each record is indicated with a yellow dot. The orange dots on the map provide access to information about the 400 most recently verified sightings of this species. In some instances, there are several records at the same location. Use the table view to access these records.
Instructions: Click on the map and move your mouse to pan.
Zoom by using the plus [+] and minus [-] on the left side of the map.
To change which map layers are displayed, click on the plus sign [+] on the right side of the map.
The fifty most recently verified sightings are below. See more recently verified sightings of all species.
| Observation Date | Submitter | Region |
Verified Date |
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May 14, 2012 | rick9213 | Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States | April 24, 2013 | Details |
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June 22, 2012 | FlutterbyButterfly | Erie County, New York, United States | March 10, 2013 | Details |
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July 02, 2012 | tjantscher | Anoka County, Minnesota, United States | January 08, 2013 | Details |
| June 15, 1993 | richardhsmith (Brent Steury) | Kent County, Maryland, United States | January 08, 2013 | Details | |
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June 10, 2012 | doris potter | Ontario, Canada | November 20, 2012 | Details |
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July 28, 2012 | joanne.russo | Windham County, Vermont, United States | October 30, 2012 | Details |
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July 10, 2012 | Kyle Jones | Windsor County, Vermont, United States | October 24, 2012 | Details |
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June 18, 2012 | kreakes | Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States | October 24, 2012 | Details |
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July 01, 2012 | Kyle Jones | Windsor County, Vermont, United States | October 08, 2012 | Details |
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July 28, 2012 | Dr. Philippe Blais | Quebec, Canada | September 24, 2012 | Details |
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June 23, 2012 | ddentzer | Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States | September 14, 2012 | Details |
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June 23, 2012 | ddentzer | Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States | September 14, 2012 | Details |
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July 07, 2012 | wayne13114 | Oswego County, New York, United States | September 13, 2012 | Details |
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June 28, 2012 | Appy-Brown | Grand Isle County, Vermont, United States | September 06, 2012 | Details |
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July 05, 2011 | James R. Conrad | Nantucket County, Massachusetts, United States | July 23, 2012 | Details |
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June 26, 2012 | Dave Kinney | Wexford County, Michigan, United States | July 18, 2012 | Details |
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June 15, 2012 | Rick Henle | Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States | July 07, 2012 | Details |
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June 30, 2012 | Rick Henle | Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States | July 07, 2012 | Details |
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June 21, 2012 | Larry522 | Washington County, Vermont, United States | June 26, 2012 | Details |
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June 07, 2012 | Dave Kinney | Wexford County, Michigan, United States | June 23, 2012 | Details |
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June 08, 2012 | Dave Kinney | Wexford County, Michigan, United States | June 23, 2012 | Details |
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May 27, 2012 | Kyle Jones | Windsor County, Vermont, United States | June 18, 2012 | Details |
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June 10, 2012 | Cheryl Jennings | Randolph County, West Virginia, United States | June 16, 2012 | Details |
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June 12, 2012 | Rodney Campbell | Lapeer County, Michigan, United States | June 13, 2012 | Details |
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June 01, 2012 | Rick Henle | Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States | June 11, 2012 | Details |
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July 09, 2011 | Don Gagnon | Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States | June 11, 2012 | Details |
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July 09, 2011 | Don Gagnon | Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States | June 11, 2012 | Details |
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June 02, 2012 | BOGwalker | St Louis County, Minnesota, United States | June 10, 2012 | Details |
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June 02, 2012 | Doug Taron | Cook County, Illinois, United States | June 08, 2012 | Details |
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May 18, 2012 | HHowell | Johnson County, Tennessee, United States | May 21, 2012 | Details |
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May 06, 2012 | HHowell | Scott County, Tennessee, United States | May 10, 2012 | Details |
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April 14, 2012 | Rangertsp | Morgan County, Tennessee, United States | April 20, 2012 | Details |
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April 14, 2012 | Rangertsp | Morgan County, Tennessee, United States | April 17, 2012 | Details |
| June 27, 1998 | legacy.reporter (Joe Choiniere) | Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 13, 1997 | legacy.reporter (Alison Robb) | Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 11, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Alison Robb) | Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 13, 1998 | legacy.reporter (Alison Robb) | Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 15, 1998 | legacy.reporter (Alison Robb) | Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| June 28, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Alison Robb) | Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| June 28, 1994 | legacy.reporter (Tor Hansen) | Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| June 23, 1997 | legacy.reporter (K. Wren) | Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 11, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Falmouth Xerces) | Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 12, 1997 | legacy.reporter (Jackie Sones) | Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 14, 1993 | legacy.reporter (Pam Weatherbee) | Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 25, 1992 | legacy.reporter (Tom Dodd) | Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| June 16, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Pam Weatherbee) | Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 25, 1992 | legacy.reporter (Tom Tyning #) | Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 24, 1993 | legacy.reporter (Tom Tyning et al) | Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 17, 1994 | legacy.reporter (Tom Tyning #) | Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 16, 1995 | legacy.reporter (C.Berk Xerces) | Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details |
