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Species Chlosyne cyneas - Black Checkerspot - Hodges#4507

Black Checkerspot, Thessalia cyneas - Chlosyne cyneas Black Checkerspot, Thessalia cyneas - Chlosyne cyneas Black Checkerspot - Chlosyne cyneas Black Checkerspot - Chlosyne cyneas Black Checkerspot, Chlosyne cyneas - Chlosyne cyneas Black Checkerspot, Chlosyne cyneas - Chlosyne cyneas
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)
Family Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Subfamily Nymphalinae (Crescents, Checkerspots, Anglewings, etc.)
Tribe Melitaeini
Genus Chlosyne (Patches, Checkerspots)
Species cyneas (Black Checkerspot - Hodges#4507)
Hodges Number
4507
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Thessalia cyneas
Included in Chlosyne by Wahlberg and Zimmerman in 2000. See synonymy notes and literature references on this page from Butterflies of America site.
Described in 1882 by Godman and Salvin, who originally placed it in genus Phyciodes.
Type locality: “Mexico, mountains of Oaxaca”
Size
wingspan 35-42 mm
Identification
Adult: upperside dark brown with brownish-red marginal spots and two neat rows of white spots; underside white, cream, or yellow with black veins and margin; postmedian black band contains a row of light spots; marghinal fringe checkered black and white.
[description copied from butterfliesandmoths.org]
Range
southern Arizona and New Mexico, south through Mexico
Habitat
mountain meadows and openings in pine and oak woodlands
Season
adults fly from April to September in United States
Food
larvae feed on desert foxglove (Brachystigma), Santa Catalina Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja tenuiflora), and blacksenna (Seymeria)
adults feed on flower nectar
Life Cycle
several generations per year; eggs are laid in groups on underside of hostplant leaves; larvae feed on leaves and flowers; young larvae live together in loose web; overwinters as a third-instar larva
Remarks
rare in United States
Internet References
species account including photos of adults, larvae, foodplants, and habitat, plus synonymy and literature references (Butterflies of America)
species account including live adult image by Paul Opler, description, biology, flight season, food, habitat, status, distribution map (butterfliesandmoths.org)
live adult images by A. Madero in Mexico (North American Butterfly Association)
distribution giving presence in New Mexico (NatureServe Explorer)