Edith's Checkerspot
Euphydryas editha (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Variable. Front wing rounded at tip. Upperside is black with red and pale yellow or white bands. Submarginal band of small yellow or white spots; wide postmedian band is red. Underside of hindwing with alternating bands of yellow-orange and cream.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 2 inches (3.2 - 5.1 cm).
Life History: Males perch or patrol all day to find females. Eggs are laid in groups on underside of leaves or on flowers of the host plant. Caterpillars eat leaves and flowers; sometimes using different host plants before and after hibernation. Young caterpillars live in loose silk webs; third- and fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: One brood; from March-May at low elevations, June-August at high elevations and in the north.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various species of paintbrush (Castilleja), beardtongues (Penstemon), lousewort (Pedicularis), owl's clover (Orthocarpus), Chinese houses (Collinsia), and plantain (Plantago).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: From sea level to treeline through diverse habitats including coastal chaparral, meadows, fields, foothills, open woods, alpine fellfields.
Range: Southern British Columbia and Alberta south to Baja California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado.
Conservation: Two subspecies, the Bay Checkerspot (Euphydryas editha bayensis) and the Quino Checkerspot (E. e. quino) are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
NCGR: The bay checkerspot (subspecies bayensis) has The Nature Conservancy Global Rank of T1 - Critically imperiled because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences, or very few remaining individuals), or because of some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable to extinction. (Critically endangered throughout its range). The other subspecies of Euphydryas editha have The Nature Conservancy Global Rank of G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Protect remaining habitat from development and alteration. Refer to Fish & Wildlife Service recovery plans.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 97 - 120 of 782 verified sightings
Observation date: Mar 15, 2015
Submitted by: Owen H
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 24, 2018
Observation date: May 09, 2016
Submitted by: Owen H
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 24, 2018
Observation date: Mar 29, 2018
Submitted by: Owen H
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 24, 2018
Observation date: Mar 29, 2018
Submitted by: Owen H
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 24, 2018
Observation date: Mar 29, 2018
Submitted by: Owen H
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 24, 2018
Observation date: Apr 23, 2015
Submitted by: Owen H
Region: California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 23, 2018
Observation date: Apr 28, 2016
Submitted by: Owen H
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 23, 2018
Observation date: May 16, 2015
Submitted by: Owen H
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 23, 2018
Observation date: May 16, 2015
Submitted by: Owen H
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 23, 2018
Observation date: May 24, 2017
Submitted by: Owen H
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 23, 2018
Observation date: Apr 26, 2016
Submitted by: Owen H
Region: Stanislaus County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 23, 2018
Observation date: Mar 26, 2015
Submitted by: dlister
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 19, 2018
Observation date: Jul 22, 2018
Submitted by: Chris Carvalho
Region: Hood River County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 02, 2018
Observation date: Jul 15, 2018
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 31, 2018
Observation date: Apr 15, 2018
Submitted by: Team Kweeper
Region: Placer County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 31, 2018
Observation date: Jun 27, 2004
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 19, 2018
Observation date: Jul 05, 2018
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Skamania County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 16, 2018
Observation date: Jun 26, 2018
Submitted by: pdxgene711
Region: Linn County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 27, 2018
Observation date: Jun 25, 2018
Submitted by: Leann
Region: Marion County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 26, 2018
Observation date: May 30, 2014
Submitted by: sgguthart
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jun 24, 2018
Observation date: Jun 02, 2018
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 05, 2018
Observation date: Jul 06, 2013
Submitted by: Chris Carvalho
Region: Hood River County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 22, 2018
Observation date: Jun 04, 2016
Submitted by: sgguthart
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: Feb 25, 2018
Observation date: Apr 11, 2017
Submitted by: James Watts
Region: Alameda County, California, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 13, 2017
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