The Butterflies of the World Foundation

A Non-Profit Organization

Sagebrush Checkerspot

Chlosyne acastus, W. H. Edwards, 1874

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.

All photographs, artwork, text and website design are the property of The Butterflies of the World Foundation (unless otherwise stated) and are protected under national and international copyright laws.  Photographs, artwork or text on this website may not be reproduced in any way without prior written consent of The Butterflies of the World Foundation.

Chlosyne acastus, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Unit, Caprock Coulee Trail, McKenzie County, 14 August 2004                                                    Ref #: I-289-3.4

Chlosyne acastus, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Unit, Caprock Coulee Trail, McKenzie County, 24 July 2005                                                      Ref #: I-313-11.1

Chlosyne acastus, Pasture 7, Little Missouri National Grassland, McKenzie County, North Dakota, 23 June 2003                                                                  Ref #:  I-172-19.2

Chlosyne acastus, Pasture 7, Little Missouri National Grassland, McKenzie County, North Dakota, 23 June 2003                                                                  Ref #:  I-173-11.2

Rabbitbrush, Chrysothamnus nauseosus, Bennett Campground, Little Missouri National Grassland, North Dakota                                                         F-27-20.1

General Information:

Chlosyne acastus belongs to the subfamily Nymphalinae.  Its range is from western North Dakota west to eastern Washington, south to New Mexico, southern Arizona and eastern California.  Its preferred habitat includes sagebrush scrub, pinyon-juniper woodlands and dry gulches.

Lifecycle:

The larval food source includes rabbitbrush, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, and aster, Machaeranthera sp., in the sunflower family Asteraceae.  Males perch and sometimes patrol in gulches 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 instar caterpillars hibernate under rocks with some diapausing for months, even years if necessary, to survive bad weather.

Chlosyne acastus, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Unit, Caprock Coulee Trail, McKenzie County, 14 August 2004                                                      Ref #: I-289-4