GORGONE CHECKERSPOT

Chlosyne gorgone

BRUSHFOOT FAMILY (Nymphalidae)

This checkerspot has a wingspan of approximately 1 - 1 1/2 inches.  Dorsally, the forewings are orange and black  with a white checkered border and small light dots at the tip of the forewing.  The hindwings dorsally have light chevrons in a black border, orange on the lower 2/3 of the wings and black on the upper 1/3.  Ventrally, the hind wing has numerous white zigzag marks outlined with black.  The ventral forewing is mostly orange.  The male (Photo C) differs from the female by being darker overall and having fewer light dots in the forewing.  It is very similar to the Silvery Checkerspot dorsally, but lacks the white spots circled in black on the lower part of the dorsal hindwing. The Silvery Checkerspot lacks the pale chevrons in the black border on the hindwing. 

This is an uncommon butterfly in our area, but a few can be seen in summer when other checkerspots and crescentspots are present.  The one shown here was photographed at the wetlands prairie.

The larval foodplants are sunflowers, ragweed and other composites.  The larvae are orange to orange-red with wide black dorsal and lateral bands and several rows of black spines.  The eggs are laid in masses on leaves of the food plant, where the larvae remain together until the final instar, when they scatter around the plant.