Baltimore Checkerspot

July 2022

The Baltimore Checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton) is a beautiful black butterfly with orange and white spots and crescents!! They have a 2.1-inch wingspan and are found in in meadows that receive lots of sun and tend to be wetter, but can also be located in hillside fields. The species appears between June and August each year and is quite difficult to track down as its numbers have declined.

July 2022

These butterflies can be challenging to track if you find one as they have a light and unassuming flight style and worn individuals look a bit drab and almost like a Common Wood Nymph while flying in my opinion. They can disappear quickly into meadow flower clusters and grasses and the one pictured perched on leaves that would be out of sight from most angles. The first Checkerspot I ever found took 2 ½ hours of searching and my legs were so heavy from trudging through the wet meadows that I almost couldn’t lift them - then one appeared out of the wooded edge for about 30 seconds…so don’t give up searching!!