Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

  Sighting 1175910

Arachne Checkerspot
Poladryas arachne

Observation date: July 20, 2018
Submitted by: A_baldini
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: Time: 2:05 p.m. Weather: Hot, windy, and partly cloudy. Habitat: Steep hilltop edges and pine forest clearings in the upper foothills. Notes: While much less common than the Blue Coppers, there was still a noticeable amount of these checkerspots in the area. They seemed to like nectaring right on the edge of a steep and precarious hillside slope, though this one was flying through a small pine forest clearing.
Status: Resident
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: September 10, 2018
Coordinator notes: This looks like a female. The males are usually found "raiting" on ridges and hilltops where the females are programed to go to mate. Then they descend to find hosts. The species should be Poladryas minuta (subspecies arachne) and the only host is Penstemon (and it is also commonly named (and fittingly) the "Beardtongue Checkerspot." Mike
Checklist region(s): Larimer County, United States, Colorado