The Butterflies of the World Foundation

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Silvery Checkerspot

Chlosyne nycteis, E. Doubleday, (1847)

Subfamily Nymphalinae

Tribe Melitaeini

Taxonomy

The family Nymphalidae is the largest butterfly family and includes about 6,000 species which are further divided up into 12 subfamilies.  The common name for the family is the Brushfoots or Brushfooted Butterflies.  This strange name is because the first pair of legs are significantly reduced, sometimes to mere stubs, and look like little brushes.  Some of the most common and well known species are in this group such as the Monarch, Red Admiral, Blue Morpho and Painted Lady.  Some of the longest lived butterflies are in this family with some species living over 10 months as adults.  The Brushfoots are distributed worldwide, with the highest diversity found in the tropics.  With this variety, there is also quite a difference in behavior, adult food choices and habitat preference from species to species.

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Chlosyne nycteis, Little Yellowstone Park, Barnes County, North Dakota, 28 June 2003

                                                                                               Ref #:  I-185-5.4

Chlosyne nycteis, near Welda Preserve, Anderson County, Kansas, 15 June 2009

                                                                                              Ref #:  I-423-11.1

Chlosyne nycteis, one half mile south of Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 19 April 2006                                                        Ref #:  I-343-3

Chlosyne nycteis, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 1 May 2008                                                                                      Ref #:  I-384-1

Chlosyne nycteis, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 13 May 2007                                                                                  Ref #:  I-374-16.2

Chlosyne nycteis, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 13 July 2008                                                                                       Ref #:  I-393-1

Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia sp., a common larval food source, Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge, Ward County, North Dakota                                        Ref #:  I-13-8.2

General Information:

Chlosyne nycteis belongs to the subfamily Nymphalinae.  Its range is the eastern half of the U.S. up to southeastern Canada.  Its preferred habitat includes streamsides, meadows and forest openings.

Lifecycle:

The larval food source includes many different composites including black-eyed susan, Rudbeckia sp., sunflowers, Helianthus sp., and wingstem, Actinomeris alternifolia.  Males perch and patrol all day in open areas.  Females lay eggs in batches of about 100 on the underside of host plant leaves.  Young caterpillars move in groups as they skeletonize leaves.  Partially-grown caterpillars hibernate.

Chlosyne nycteis, Little Yellowstone Park, Barnes County, North Dakota, 28 June 2003

                                                                                             Ref #:  I-185-10.1

Chlosyne nycteis, Little Yellowstone Park, Barnes County, North Dakota, 28 June 2003

                                                                                                 Ref #:  I-184-7

Chlosyne nycteis, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 29 June 2005                                                                                  Ref #:  I-306-9.2

Black-eyed Susans, Rudbeckia hirta, a common larval food source, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma                                          F-63-19.4