Rockslide Checkerspot
Chlosyne whitneyi (Behr, 1863)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Upperside is slightly glossy black with pale orange to creamy white bands; female may be much darker. Underside of hindwing with a light orange marginal band, then alternating orange and creamy white bands on remainder of wing.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 5/8 inches (3.2 - 4.1 cm).
Life History: Males patrol and sometimes perch in hollows of rockslides to wait for females. Eggs are laid in batches on underside of host plant leaves and sometimes on flower buds. Caterpillars eat leaves and flowers, and feed together in groups. Third- and fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate under rocks; some diapause for two years or more to survive bad weather.
Flight: One flight from July-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Alpine plants of the sunflower family including Erigeron and Solidago species.
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Rocky slopes, benches, and rockslides at or above treeline.
Range: Rare. British Columbia and Alberta south in the mountains to California and Colorado.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR:
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 122 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/lelas_checkerspot2_iceberg_lake_glacier_np_7-3-2023.jpg?itok=2G6SPVNw)
Observation date: Jul 03, 2023
Submitted by: plex1ppus
Region: Glacier County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Apr 24, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1400516.jpg?itok=q2e35SIN)
Observation date: Sep 18, 2023
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 21, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1400487.jpg?itok=B1UlTfdn)
Observation date: Sep 18, 2023
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 21, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1390923.jpg?itok=JQ9l5lA0)
Observation date: Sep 05, 2023
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 08, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_7100_2_0.jpg?itok=tflqwAug)
Observation date: Jul 11, 2023
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Summit County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 04, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1380085.jpg?itok=wf4baxWo)
Observation date: Aug 04, 2023
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 17, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/rockslide_checkerspot_chlosyne_whitneyi_ca_mono_county_-_saddlebag_lake_-_yosemite_aug_2_2017.jpg?itok=YAQ8GUgK)
Observation date: Aug 03, 2017
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 16, 2021
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn8146_1.jpg?itok=-mBTGAVM)
Observation date: Jul 11, 2020
Submitted by: J_Martineau (Charlotte Martineau)
Region: Johnson County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jan 06, 2021
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_0059_12.jpg?itok=u9UMjluY)
Observation date: Jul 04, 2020
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Pitkin County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Nov 22, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/pana1536.jpg?itok=_Bhhf-2M)
Observation date: Jul 26, 2019
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Hinsdale County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Oct 05, 2019
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1040522.jpg?itok=3G9cnj_P)
Observation date: Aug 30, 2019
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 16, 2019
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/rc.png?itok=OnsE4KSG)
Observation date: Jul 21, 2008
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 26, 2019
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/filefield_paths/p1270154.jpg?itok=3erqh563)
Observation date: Aug 07, 2018
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 15, 2018
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/filefield_paths/p1870544.jpg?itok=oed-XGNn)
Observation date: Aug 07, 2018
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 13, 2018
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/filefield_paths/p1870627.jpg?itok=hzVmN2cz)
Observation date: Aug 07, 2018
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 13, 2018
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/filefield_paths/rockslide_checkerspot_1_c_7-19-17_2.jpg?itok=PB-_Reba)
Observation date: Jul 19, 2017
Submitted by: wallap74
Region: San Juan County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Dec 27, 2017
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2014leps_115.jpg?itok=dIz02Qdk)
Observation date: Jul 19, 2014
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Johnson County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 04, 2014
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/whitneyi814john.jpg?itok=qmL2aYr3)
Observation date: Aug 14, 2011
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Johnson County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Nov 27, 2011
![](/sites/default/files/no-image-icon-480x360.png)
Observation date: Aug 18, 2011
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
![](/sites/default/files/no-image-icon-480x360.png)
Observation date: Jul 02, 1985
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jim Brock)
Region: Alpine County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
![](/sites/default/files/no-image-icon-480x360.png)
Observation date: Aug 18, 2011
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/rockslide.jpg?itok=Tkyf6weK)
Observation date: Aug 06, 2010
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Sheridan County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: paulopler
Verified date: Jan 23, 2011
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/chlowhit.jpg?itok=4QW0nL72)
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BAMONA
Region:
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010
![](/sites/default/files/no-image-icon-480x360.png)
Observation date: Aug 16, 1990
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. Schryver, P. Thompson)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 02, 2010
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