Windwolf
Crex Meadows Butterflies... Silvery Checkerspot
Silvery Checkerspot
Chlosyne nycteis
Wing span: 1 3/8 - 2 inches (3.5 - 5.1 cm).
Caterpillar hosts: Many different composites including black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia), sunflowers (Helianthus), and wingstem (Actinomeris alternifolia).
Females lay eggs in batches of about 100 on the underside of host plant leaves. Young caterpillars move in groups as they skeletonize leaves.
Habitat: Moist, somewhat open places including streamsides, meadows, forest openings.
Picture taken June 14, 2007
The Silvery Checkerspot identification is easiest when looking at the underside of the wing. Look to the difference in the moon spots, with the missing moons and somewhat darker appearance in this missing moon area an easy way to distinguish between the Silvery and its closest look alike.
Picture to the left take June 20, 2007
Picture below taken June 14, 2007 and added here to give a view perspective and size perspective. The flower is a Butterfly weed.
| Kingdom | Animalia | (Animals) |
| Phylum | Arthropoda | (Arthropods) |
| Superclass | Hexapoda | (Hexapods) |
| Class | Insecta | (Insects) |
| Subclass | Pterygota | (Winged Insects) |
| Order | Lepidoptera | (Butterflies and Moths) |
| Superfamily | Papilionoidea | (Butterflies) |
| Family | Nymphalidae | (Brushfooted Butterflies) |
| Subfamily | Nymphalinae | (Crescents, Checkerspots, Anglewings, etc) |
| Genus | Chlosyne | |
| Species | nycteis | (Silvery Checkerspot) |