Description ⁴

The adult may be often confused with the others of the palla group, Sagebrush Checkerspot (C. acastus) and Hoffmann's Checkerspot (C. hoffmanni). The adult's wingspan is 30–48 mm (1.2–1.9 in). The upperside of the wing has a patter of dark brown, light orange, and tan. The underside of the wing has alternating red and yellow cells.

General description ⁵

The upperside exhibits the typical checkerspot pattern of orange and brown-black, with a checkered orange-red and cream underside. Superficially similar to the Euphydryas checkerspots, but distinguished by the absence of cream-white spots on the upperside. More difficult to separate from the Rockslide Checkerspot (C. damoetas), which has a slightly duller, dingier look to it, with fewer dark markings on the forewing top. Damoetas is found only above treeline in rockslides and boulder fields, Northern Checkerspots rarely wander up this high. D. Macaulay image
 It is not clear which subspecies name best applies to Alberta populations (Bird et al. 1995). The Peace River population represents an undescribed subspecies.

Life cycle ⁴

There is one flight that occurs between April and May or to July in mountainous or northly areas. The caterpillar of this species feeds on goldenrod (Solidago), rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus), and asters.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Robert, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/44055945@N06/5740726849
2. (c) Ken Schneider, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Ken Schneider, http://www.flickr.com/photos/zonotrichia/3706292348/
3. (c) Pictoscribe - Home again, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/pictoscribe/733851882/
4. Adapted by Ken-ichi Ueda from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlosyne_palla
5. Adapted by Ken-ichi Ueda from a work by (c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/23144298

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• BugGuide
• Butterflies and Moths of North America
• CalPhotos
• CUIC Insect Images
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• Moth Photographers Group
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• Pacific Northwest Moths

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