Table of Contents
- 1 Where does the Baltimore checkerspot live?
- 2 What do checkerspot caterpillars eat?
- 3 What does a Baltimore checkerspot butterfly look like?
- 4 How long do checkerspot butterflies live?
- 5 What is Maryland nickname?
- 6 How is climate change affecting the Bay Checkerspot butterfly?
- 7 How big does a Baltimore checkerspot butterfly get?
- 8 What kind of habitat does the Baltimore checkerspot live in?
Where does the Baltimore checkerspot live?
The Baltimore checkerspot lives in wet, weedy meadows. Breeding habitat depends on presence of their host plants, including white turtlehead before winter and ash, viburnums, penstemon, plantains and honeysuckle during spring. They often live in colonies.
What do checkerspot caterpillars eat?
FOOD. Caterpillars: dwarf plantain and purple owl’s clover. Adults: nectar.
What is the Maryland state butterfly?
Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly
The Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly (Euphydryas phaeton) has been the official arthropodic emblem of the State since 1973 (Chapter 253, Acts of 1973; Code General Provisions Article, sec. 7-308).
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.
What does a Baltimore checkerspot butterfly look like?
The adult Baltimore Checkerspot is a medium-sized butterfly with a wing spread of 1¾ – 2¾ inches. From above, the wings are black with a row of deep orange crescents along the outer edges (marginMargin: The edges of the wing.). The underside of the Baltimore Checkerspot is similar, but with more white and orange.
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.
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.
What is Maryland’s state gemstone?
Patuxent River Stone
Effective October 1, 2004, the Patuxent River Stone became the State Gem of Maryland (Chapter 272, Acts of 2004; Code General Provisions Article, sec. 7-324). The Patuxent River Stone is actually an agate, a cryptocrystalline form of quartz.
What is Maryland nickname?
Free State
Little AmericaOld Line State
Maryland/Nicknames
Maryland is known as both the Old Line State and the Free State. Old Line State. According to some historians, General George Washington bestowed the name “Old Line State” and thereby associated Maryland with its regular line troops, the Maryland Line, who served courageously in many Revolutionary War battles.
How is climate change affecting the Bay Checkerspot butterfly?
While rapid climate change may force the checkerspot to migrate northward and to higher elevations, the host plants and nectar sources they depend upon may not always be available there or be able to migrate as quickly as the checkerspot, creating resource mismatches.
What does the Bay checkerspot butterfly eat?
Diet. While the larvae are dependent on the host plants, mostly the dwarf plantain, for sustenance the adult butterflies live on nectar. They feed on a variety of plants associated with serpentine grasslands.
What do Quino checkerspot butterfly eat?
Quino checkerspot butterfly larvae may undergo as many as seven molts prior to pupation. There is typically one generation of adults per year, with a flight period from late February through May. FEEDING: Larvae feed upon the leaves of plantain, the host plant. Adults feed on plant nectar.
How big does a Baltimore checkerspot butterfly get?
The Baltimore checkerspot is a medium-sized butterfly in the family Nymphalidae, the brushfooted butterflies, named for their reduced front legs. This trait makes them appear to have four legs instead of six. Baltimore checkerspots have a wingspan of roughly 2.5 inches. Their wings are black in color with white and orange markings.
What kind of habitat does the Baltimore checkerspot live in?
The Baltimore checkerspot lives in wet, weedy meadows. Breeding habitat depends on presence of their host plants, including white turtlehead before winter and ash, viburnums, penstemon, plantains and honeysuckle during spring. They often live in colonies.
Why are the Baltimore checkerspots in Maryland declining?
In Maryland, some of the factors that have led to the decline of Baltimore checkerspots include habitat loss and degradation, deer browse on host and nectar plants, and wetland succession. Conservation efforts have mainly focused on monitoring and habitat assessment, protecting land, and encouraging land owners to adopt conservation policies.
What kind of plant does a Baltimore checkerspot use?
As they grow, Baltimore checkerspot caterpillars use a variety of host plants in addition to turtlehead, including arrowwood viburnum, narrow-leaved plantain, penstemon and honeysuckle.