Gorgone Checkerspot
Chlosyne gorgone
The Gorgone Checkerspot on Crex Meadows is a treat for visitors to the Meadows. The Gorgone Checkerspot is mainly a plains area butterfly but Crex Meadows provides a habitat that does support this butterflies local population.
It is uncommon to rare on Crex Meadows but can become locally common in some areas of Wisconsin. On the plains, this butterflies numbers are secure.
Two broods can be found when conditions are good, but the past dry years has impacted sightings of these Checkerspots on the meadows.
First sightings on Crex tend to occur on the north side of the meadows in late may. A second hatch can be seen mid to late July. So far, numbers have been low on Crex with my highest numbers seen in July 2007 on Crex and July 2010 on Fish Lake. It was the Fish Lake trip that provided my first underwing shots of the Gorgone Checkerspots. Previously, these guys were only seen open wing or flew away on approach.
Caterpillar hosts: Several plants in the Asteraceae including sunflower (Helianthus) and crosswort (Lysimachia) species.
Identification Tips
From the top view, the Gorgone Checkerspot is similar to many checkerspots on Crex Meadows at first sight.-
Solid black border in the median area above a row of solid black spots on the hindwing.
No white in sub-margin hindwing black spots (see Harris and Silvery checkerspot top views).
Dominate checkmark in hindwing margin area white spots.
Taxonomy
Gorgone Checkerspot taxonomy
| Taxonomy | Gorgone Checkerspot- | Chlosyne gorgone |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia | Animals |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda | Arthropods |
| Superclass: | Hexapoda | Hexapods |
| Class: | Insecta | Insects |
| Subclass: | Pterygota | Winged Insects |
| Order: | Lepidoptera | Butterflies and Moths |
| Superfamily: | Papilionoidea | |
| Family: | Nymphalidae | Brushfooted |
| Subfamily: | Nymphalinae | Checkerspot |
| Tribe: | Melitaeini | |
| Subtribe: | Chlosynina | |
| Genus: | Chlosyne | |
| Specie: | gorgone |