FOOD. Caterpillars: dwarf plantain and purple owl’s clover. Adults: nectar.
What do Taylor checkerspot butterflies eat?
In Washington and Oregon Taylor’s checkerspot larvae feed on native plants from the Broomrape (Orobanchaceae) family (Castilleja hispida, C. levisecta, Tryphasaria) in addition to the non-native Plantago lanceolata and the native Plantago maritima of the Plantaginaceae family.
Where does the Bay checkerspot butterfly live?
San Francisco Bay
The Bay checkerspot (Euphydryas editha bayensis) is a butterfly endemic to the San Francisco Bay region of the U.S. state of California.
How do I identify a caterpillar?
Look for distinct physical features if the caterpillar has any. Check to see if the caterpillar has a curled tail, head horns, knobs, lashes, spines, or a split tail. These can all be good indicators for certain caterpillar species and will help you narrow down your search rather quickly.
Are Baltimore checkerspot caterpillars poisonous?
To combat these predators, newly-hatched caterpillars build a communal web at the end of their host plants’ leaves where they’re more protected from parasitic wasps. Once a butterfly, however, the Baltimore checkerspot is poisonous and bad tasting.
What is the host plant for Baltimore checkerspot?
White Turtlehead
White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra), which is the host plant for young caterpillars of Baltimore Checkerspot.
What do Oregon caterpillars eat?
Adults feed on wildflower nectar from thistles, balsamroot, phlox, daisies, asters, rabbitbrush, penstemon, milkweed, and dogbane. The larvae (juveniles) feed on tarragon sagebrush (also called wild tarragon or dragon wormwood, Artemisia dracunculus).
Why is the Bay checkerspot butterfly endangered?
Luckily for the Bay checkerspot, its population plunge was observed early on by biologists, earning it a federal Endangered Species Act listing in 1987. Like all butterflies, the Bay checkerspot is extremely vulnerable to pesticides, which contaminate its host plants and poison its larvae.
How long do checkerspot butterflies live?
The normal life span of the bay checkerspot butterfly (egg-larvae-pupae-butterfly) is one year. developed a recovery plan for the bay checkerspot butterfly in 1998.
Is there an app to identify caterpillars?
The only app available to identify 600 caterpillar species in the US! Caterpillars of the East can be identified through an ingenious ID key developed by biologists. Once you download the app, no internet connection is needed—just get the app and get started!
How do you tell if a caterpillar is a moth or butterfly?
A fuzzy or hairy caterpillar ambling through your garden is a moth-to-be. Butterfly caterpillars aren’t fuzzy or hairy, but they may have spikes. However, if the caterpillar has smooth skin, it could be either.
What does a Baltimore checkerspot eat?
white turtlehead
The Baltimore checkerspot is a black, orange and white butterfly that feeds on white turtlehead leaves and nectar. It can be found in the entire Chesapeake Bay region.
What are the caterpillars of the checkerspot butterfly?
The caterpillars are the immature stage of the silvery checkerspot butterfly (Figure 2). Their primary hosts are plants in the aster family, including sunflowers. Figure 3. Checkerspot caterpillars on a sunflower leaf.
Do checkerspot caterpillars hibernate?
As the growing season winds down, the second generation caterpillars will hibernate as third instar larvae. The adult silvery checkerspot is a beautiful black, yellow and orange butterfly that is on the small side, with a wingspan around two inches across.
How do you get rid of checkerspot caterpillars?
If they are longer than 1.25 inches, management is unnecessary because, at that size, the caterpillars are nearly fully grown and most of the feeding damage has already occurred. Depending on the size of an infestation, checkerspot caterpillars may be managed using spot spraying in areas where the defoliation is more severe (e.g., field edges).
What is the habitat of the Bay checkerspot butterfly?
All habitat for the bay checkerspot butterfly exists on shallow, serpentine-derived soil (i.e., high in magnesium and heavy metals and low in nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium). The primary larvae host plant is dwarf plantain ( Plantago erecta ). The larvae require a second host plant when the plantain dries up.
