The Baltimore Checkerspot's Finest Year

Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly

Baltimore Checkerspot Butterflies are having a great season. We have 2 really good habitat areas at the nature preserve and in both places the checkerspot's main food plant (turtlehead) grows in abundance. I honestly can't remember the last time I had 50 checkerspots flying around me in a meadow, but that's what has been happening over the last few days. Lots of interesting behavior was going on too; territorial males were swirling around each and ascending up to 40 feet before breaking off and returning to the ground. Females were seen fluttering their wings in place and fanning males with pheromones. A few pairs were also seen mating. It doesn't get any better than this, folks!

The female (top) was fanning her wings at the male

Two Baltimores on Swamp Milkweed - a most colorful scene

Most male Checkerspots are noticeably smaller than females

I strongly suspect that this female's swollen abdomen is full of eggs

Checkerspots were spilling out of the wetlands and into the upland fields

Common Milkweed is a real draw for nectaring butterflies

All around there were still plenty of Checkerspot Caterpillars 

This Baltimore Checkrspot larva had attached itself to a branch and was starting to shed its skin

The Baltimore Checkerspot Chrysalis is a real jewel  - we found over a dozen of them in one small area

 Each individual Checkerspot Butterfly has a unique patterns of spots

Other Butterflies around include the Striped Hairstreak, which is only as large as a nickle

The Common Wood Nymph  is common in our fields right now