Gorgone checkerspot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gorgone checkerspot |
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C. gorgone
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| Chlosyne gorgone (Hübner, 1810)
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The gorgone checkerspot (scientific name: Chlosyne gorgone) is a type of butterfly. It belongs to the Nymphalinae family. You can find these butterflies in North America.
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What Does It Look Like?
This butterfly is medium-sized. Its wings can spread from about 32 to 45 millimeters wide. That's about the length of two to three paperclips!
The top side of its wings is mostly orange. It has black patterns and markings. The back wings have a row of solid black dots near the edge.
If you look at the underside of its wings, you'll see a cool pattern. It has brown and white bands that look like zigzags. There's also a white band in the middle with V-shaped marks called chevrons.
Where Does It Live?
The gorgone checkerspot butterfly lives in North America. Its home stretches from Alberta in Canada all the way to southern Ontario. It also lives south into central Texas. You can find them between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains.
These butterflies like open spaces the most. You might see them in sunny ridges, grassy prairies, or old fields. They also visit stream sides and open forests with hardwood trees.
Life Cycle of the Gorgone Checkerspot
The life cycle of the gorgone checkerspot depends on where it lives. In cooler northern areas, they have one group of butterflies (called a brood) each year. This happens between July and August.
In the middle parts of their range, they have two broods. These butterflies fly from May to September. In the warmer southern areas, they can have three broods. This means you can see them from April to September.
Female butterflies lay their eggs in groups. They place them on the underside of the plants their young will eat. When the caterpillars first hatch, they eat and live together in groups. Later, when they are a bit older (called third-instar caterpillars), they stop eating and go into a deep sleep for the winter. This is called hibernation.
What Do Young Butterflies Eat?
Young gorgone checkerspot caterpillars eat leaves from certain plants. These are called their host plants.
- Helianthus species (like sunflowers)
- Ambrosia trifida (also known as giant ragweed)
- Iva xanthifolia (also known as marsh elder)
- Viguiera multiflora (a type of sunflower)
What Do Adult Butterflies Eat?
Adult gorgone checkerspot butterflies drink Nectar. They especially like nectar from yellow flowers.
