# Silvery Checkerspot (*Chlosyne nycteis*) The Silvery Checkerspot is a beautiful butterfly with bright orange and black patterns. It loves to flutter around flowers and is often seen in sunny places during warm months. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 8 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Silvery Checkerspot](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Silvery_Checkerspot%252C_Megan_McCarty116.jpg&width=800) Photo: Megan McCarty, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Silvery_Checkerspot%252C_Megan_McCarty116.jpg) ## Appearance The Silvery Checkerspot has forewings and hindwings adorned with a rich orange-brown and black checkered pattern. Its most distinctive feature is a prominent silvery-white patch on the underside of its hindwing, setting it apart from other checkerspot butterflies. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Lepidoptera - **Family:** Nymphalidae - **Genus:** Chlosyne ## Interesting facts - Adult butterflies love to bask in warm sunny spots. - Its caterpillars wear spiky black coats for protection. - The silvery spot on its wing is like a secret shiny badge! - They taste with their feet to find the best flowers! ## Special abilities - **Patterned Camouflage:** Silvery Checkerspot has checkered wings that help it blend into flowery meadows and sunny clearings, making it hard for predators to spot. - **Nectar Collector:** Silvery Checkerspot has a long proboscis, like a straw, allowing it to sip sweet nectar from deep inside flowers to gain energy. - **Host Plant Navigator:** Female Silvery Checkerspots can expertly find specific plants, like sunflowers, for their caterpillars to munch on and grow. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 35-50 mm - **Size:** 10-20 mm - **Lifespan:** 10-20 days - **Flight Speed:** 15 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding Adults sip nectar from wildflowers; caterpillars munch on leaves like sunflowers and asters. - **Age differences:** Larvae eat plant leaves, while adults only drink flower nectar. - **Primary Foods:** Nectar, Sunflower leaves, Aster leaves, Coneflower leaves - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Common Milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) — collects nectar and helps these plants reproduce. - **Eaten by:** [Eastern Kingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-kingbird) (*Tyrannus tyrannus*) — a quick bird that can snatch butterflies mid-flight. - **Depends on:** Common Sunflower (*Helianthus annuus*) — its caterpillars need sunflower leaves to grow big and strong. - **Eaten by:** Green Anole (*Anolis carolinensis*) — a small lizard that preys on insects like butterflies. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch butterflies from a distance and don't try to catch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Silvery Checkerspot? Compare the wing outline, spots, bands, eyespots and wing edges. The underside can look completely different from the top. Check for tails, the antennae and where the markings sit instead of relying on color alone. Butterfly Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Silvery Checkerspot's wingspan? 35-50 mm ### How big is Silvery Checkerspot? 10-20 mm ### How long does Silvery Checkerspot live? 10-20 days ### How fast can Silvery Checkerspot fly? 15 km/h ### What does Silvery Checkerspot eat? Adults sip nectar from wildflowers; caterpillars munch on leaves like sunflowers and asters. ### Where is Silvery Checkerspot usually found? Grasslands ### How does Silvery Checkerspot hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Elk Neck State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/elk-neck-state-park) — Maryland, US · State Park - [Ice Age Trail](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ice-age-trail) — Wisconsin, US · National Park - [William Allen White Cabins](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/william-allen-white-cabins) — Colorado, US · Historic District - [Athens Lunatic Asylum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/athens-lunatic-asylum) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [Beverley Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/beverley-historic-district) — Virginia, US · Historic District - [Eureka Springs Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/eureka-springs-historic-district) — Arkansas, US · Historic District [View all places to see Silvery Checkerspot](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/silvery-checkerspot) ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Silvery Checkerspot: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/silvery-checkerspot)