The Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly (Euphydryas phaeton) has been the state insect for Maryland since 1973. Named after the first Lord Baltimore because it exhibits the same orange and black colors found on the crest for the American Colonist as well as the Maryland state flag, the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly is described as possessing a 2 ½-inch dark brown body with wings that are spotted with the colors of orange and white. Possessing short hairy forelegs indicates that it this insect is apart of the family Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies). Such a characteristic prevents the creature from walking, suggesting that it is only mobile in the air. Generally it keeps a low flight range that is just above vegetation. The above and following information was acquired from the Maryland at Glance web page under the state symbols category.
The butterfly is found mostly in the north central and north eastern regions of the UnitedStates and thrives in a habitat that has wet meadows, ditches and abundant with the White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) plant. The White Turtlehead is a member of the snapdragon family and is described as having a white pink rimmed flower. The Baltimore Checkerspot is dependent on this host plant as it provides nourishment and facilitates reproduction. The female butterfly will often lay several hundred eggs between late July and early August under the pedals of the creamy white pink rimmed flowers that grow on the Turtlehead. Over a course of a few weeks these eggs will hatch into orange and black caterpillars. The caterpillars will feed off the host plant during its period of growth until it emerges into an adult butterfly.
“Perilous Beauty”, an article written by Mary Battiata from the Washington Post informs of records from the 1930’s that show the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly having “large colonies in Rock Creek Park, and all over Prince George’s and Montgomery counties.” At present they appear to be experiencing an accelerating decline. Listed as a threatened species in 2002, Pat Durkin, a butterfly conservationist from the Baltimore Checkerspot Restoration Project of Maryland, claims that the insect is currently experiencing a regional decline because of “habitat change and degradation due to global warming.”
The Global Warming Action Alliance , whose mission is to educate about climate change, suggest that “warmer temperatures have forced about 80% of all Baltimore Checkerspot Butterflies northward up to 50 miles in the last 25 years.” Unfortunately, as the species migrates northward the host plant that it is dependent on will not, “depriving the Checkerspot of home, family and nutrition.”
Other more obvious reasons for the regional decline may be due to non-targeted exposure to insecticide applications and overconsumption of host plant. An increasing white-tailed deer population is over consuming the White Turtlehead. The butterfly utilizes this host plant as a dependable source for nourishment and reproduction.
TAGS: Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly, Nymphalidae, White Turtlehead, American Pest Management, Pest Control
29 responses so far ↓
1 Olivia // Sep 20, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Why are they Maryland’s state insects?
I don’t really know it.
Can somebody tell me?
Thanks:-)
2 michael // Sep 21, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Great question! They were originally found in baltimore .So since they were in it’s state capital they made it ’s the state insect.
3 michael // Sep 21, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Just kidding!It’s the state’s insect because it was the insect with the most population.
4 omg // Sep 30, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Wow. So it’s the onje with lots of population?? Great! Thanks for answering Oliva’s question!
5 Ace // Oct 1, 2009 at 9:08 pm
what plants live in this habitat?
6 Ace // Oct 1, 2009 at 9:09 pm
what plants share a habitat with the butterfly?
7 Sara // Oct 20, 2009 at 8:56 am
luv this website
8 carrie // Oct 20, 2009 at 8:25 pm
they are marylands state insect because there colors are the colors of george calvert a.k.a lord baltimore
9 GottaLoveMe // Oct 20, 2009 at 9:20 pm
what is their lifecycle thing?
10 GottaLoveMe // Oct 20, 2009 at 9:22 pm
someone answer me!
please………..
11 Ethan // Oct 22, 2009 at 4:10 pm
You guys aren’t really stating facts. I am studying the Baltimore checkerspot butterfly and everything you said is wrong. By the way, their scientific name is Euphyprayas Phaeton. Look it up dumbos!
12 Ethan // Oct 22, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Sorry it is Euphydrayas Phaeton
13 Emily // Oct 28, 2009 at 7:57 pm
What are their predators?
14 natural enemies? // Oct 28, 2009 at 8:37 pm
what are the butterfly’s natural enemies?
15 camilaaaa // Nov 3, 2009 at 2:40 pm
what ia the importance of the baltimor checkerspot????
can someone please tell me
16 camilaaaa // Nov 5, 2009 at 2:12 pm
please:-)
17 sunboy // Nov 6, 2009 at 12:40 pm
can i get some of information of checkerspot butterflys??
18 Butterflychick // Nov 10, 2009 at 5:38 pm
The importance is that our state insect IS NOT increasing it’s population, but decreasing. This is due to loss of habitat and deer that consume the white turtlehead, it’s main food source, that has butterfly eggs on them.
Hope this helps!
19 ??? // Nov 15, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Actually it’s because the butterfly looks like the Maryland state flag.
20 jet800 // Nov 23, 2009 at 9:55 pm
by the way Ethan the scientific name that they put is correct smart one
21 Haley // Nov 24, 2009 at 7:03 pm
What other plants and animals live in it’s habitat?
22 Peaceoutgrl // Dec 1, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Ok look- it’s scientific name is
Euphydryas phaeton
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Euphydryas
Species: E. phaeton
i just found it from a website ethan omg
23 kim davenport // Dec 7, 2009 at 11:37 am
thats really cool i never knew that. how manny baltimore checkerspots exist now in md
24 kim davenport // Dec 7, 2009 at 11:41 am
how manny checkerspots exist in md now
25 Whtwhtwhtdidusay? // Dec 8, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Hey! I was just wondering; how many counties is the BCB in today?
26 skate.live.laugh.love.P.E.A.C.E. // Dec 12, 2009 at 1:19 pm
what r the characteristics of the BCB the help it survive?
27 lala land // Jan 5, 2010 at 7:23 pm
did u know it was put on the endangered species list in 2oo2 and it used to be found in 15 counties instead of 5
btw skate.live.laugh.love.P.E.A.C.E. do u go to eastern ms?
28 JELLO // Dec 2, 2010 at 7:14 pm
What habitat do they live in?
29 tristen // Feb 2, 2011 at 6:40 pm
ive been researching the checkerspot in school lately and i found that the checkerspot is a really cool insect, with all the history behind it, i hope the checkerspot population stops going down and go’s up and returns to the original #, maybe even larger.
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