Chalcedon Checkerspot
Euphydryas chalcedona (Doubleday, [1847])
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Extremely variable. Forewing narrow. Upperside is black to dark orange-brown with yellow, red, and sometimes white spots. Underside with yellow and orange-red bands.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 2 1/4 inches (3.2 - 5.7 cm).
Life History: Males perch or patrol all day for females. Eggs are laid in large groups on underside of leaves of host plants. Caterpillars feed together on leaves, flowers, or bracts in a silk nest. Third- and fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate under rocks or in litter. Caterpillars in high elevations can hibernate for several years.
Flight: One flight; April-June in California and Oregon, June-July in the north and higher elevations. Several flights from April-October in western Arizona, southern Nevada, and the Mojave Desert.
Caterpillar Hosts: Besseya, penstemon, and Indian paintbrush (Scrophulariaceae); snowberry and honeysuckle (Caprifoliaceae); and plants from several other families including Boraginaceae and Rosaceae.
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Sagebrush flats, chaparral, desert hills, high prairie, open forest, alpine tundra.
Range: Alaska south along the Pacific Coast through California and Arizona to Baja California and Mexico; east to Montana, the Dakotas, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico.
Conservation: Some subspecies and unnamed populations may require monitoring, management, or preservation.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Maintain habitat integrity, host plant colonies, and nectar sources. Note: This species used to include these additional separate species Euphydryas anicia, E. chalcedona, and E. colon.
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 978 verified sightings
Observation date: May 31, 2023
Submitted by: cevmendo
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 01, 2023
Observation date: May 27, 2023
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 28, 2023
Observation date: May 25, 2023
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 27, 2023
Observation date: Apr 11, 2023
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 26, 2023
Observation date: May 15, 2023
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 20, 2023
Observation date: May 01, 2023
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 11, 2023
Observation date: May 06, 2023
Submitted by: guy_incognito
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 11, 2023
Observation date: Mar 18, 2023
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 19, 2023
Observation date: Apr 09, 2022
Submitted by: Seth Mueller
Region: California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 18, 2023
Observation date: May 04, 2019
Submitted by: outdooryuri
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 14, 2023
Observation date: Apr 02, 2022
Submitted by: madamirie
Region: Santa Cruz County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 14, 2022
Observation date: May 08, 2021
Submitted by: madamirie
Region: Santa Cruz County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 14, 2022
Observation date: Jul 27, 2022
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 02, 2022
Observation date: Jul 25, 2022
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 02, 2022
Observation date: Jul 25, 2022
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 01, 2022
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 29, 2022
Observation date: Jun 27, 2022
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 26, 2022
Observation date: Apr 26, 2022
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 05, 2022
Observation date: May 23, 2021
Submitted by: Samela95437
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 29, 2022
Observation date: May 20, 2022
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 21, 2022
Observation date: Apr 08, 2022
Submitted by: yhelfman
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 09, 2022
Observation date: May 01, 2022
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 02, 2022
Observation date: Apr 30, 2022
Submitted by: icosahedron
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 01, 2022
Observation date: Apr 16, 2022
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 17, 2022
- ‹ previous
- 2 of 41
- next ›