Are Baltimore Checkerspots rare?
While the Baltimore checkerspot was once common in the region, the species has experienced significant declines in recent years. Currently, it has a state conservation rank of S2, meaning that it is imperiled in Maryland because it is very rare.
Are checkerspot caterpillars poisonous?
These arthropods are poisonous to birds. As a behavioral adaptation, they advertise their bad taste spreading their brightly-colored wings while feeding on nectar. The species is very rarely seen in gardens. Since 1973, it is the state insect of the U.S. State of Maryland.
Is the Baltimore checkerspot endangered?
Not extinct
Baltimore checkerspot/Extinction status
What is the host plant for Baltimore checkerspot?
white turtlehead
The Baltimore checkerspot lives in wet, weedy meadows. Breeding habitat depends on presence of their host plants, including white turtlehead before winter and ash, viburnums, penstemon, plantains and honeysuckle during spring. They often live in colonies.
What is the Maryland state butterfly?
Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly
Maryland State Insect – Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly. The Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly (Euphydryas phaeton) has been the official arthropodic emblem of the State since 1973 (Chapter 253, Acts of 1973; Code General Provisions Article, sec.
What do Baltimore checkerspot butterflies eat?
Secondary host plants, on which the caterpillars may feed when older, include viburnums and honeysuckles. Adult Baltimore Checkerspots reportedly nectar on a variety of plants, including Spreading Dogbane, Common Milkweed, and Black-eyed Susan.
What number is Maryland out of the 50 states?
Get facts and photos about the 7th state.
What are five interesting facts about Maryland?
Maryland State Quick Facts
- Maryland was the 7th state in the United States of America.
- Maryland was granted statehood on April 28, 1788.
- The state capital of Maryland is Annapolis.
- The largest city in Maryland is Baltimore.
- The population of Maryland is 5,928,814 (source 2013 United States Census Bureau estimate).
What do common buckeye caterpillars eat?
Caterpillars feed on a variety of plants including the narrowleaf plantain (Plantago lanceolata), the common greater plantain (Plantago major), blue toadflax, false foxglove, Mexican petunia (Ruellia species), the firecracker plant, and Cudweed.
What is the color of a Baltimore checkerspot butterfly?
Butterflies, like bees, are pollinators of crops and wild flora, and the Baltimore Checkerspot is no exception. Its body or thorax is dark brown, a color which extends to its wings, spotted white and then orange on their edges.
What kind of habitat does the Baltimore checkerspot live in?
Habitat The Baltimore checkerspot lives in wet, weedy meadows. Breeding habitat depends on presence of their host plants, including white turtlehead before winter and ash, viburnums, penstemon, plantains and honeysuckle during spring. They often live in colonies.
What kind of plant does a Baltimore checkerspot use?
As they grow, Baltimore checkerspot caterpillars use a variety of host plants in addition to turtlehead, including arrowwood viburnum, narrow-leaved plantain, penstemon and honeysuckle.
When did the checkerspot butterfly become Maryland’s state insect?
The Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly ( Euphydryas phaeton) has been the official arthropodic emblem of the State since 1973 (Chapter 253, Acts of 1973; Code General Provisions Article, sec. 7-308).
What does a Baltimore checkerspot butterfly look like?
Mature larvae have a black head, with alternating bands of black and bright yellow lines and marks all over, while the entire body is covered with spine-like protrusions arranged along the alternating bands. The newborn caterpillars move to the plant tip, consuming the leaves of the host plant in a web-like pattern.
What kind of habitat does Baltimore checkerspot live in?
Baltimore checkerspot colonies are located in early-successional, stream-fed wet meadows with few trees and shrubs. In general, habitats are fairly “weedy” with waist-high herbaceous vegetation including sedges and rushes and few woody plants.
Why are the Baltimore checkerspots in Maryland declining?
In Maryland, some of the factors that have led to the decline of Baltimore checkerspots include habitat loss and degradation, deer browse on host and nectar plants, and wetland succession. Conservation efforts have mainly focused on monitoring and habitat assessment, protecting land, and encouraging land owners to adopt conservation policies.
What kind of plant does a checkerspot butterfly eat?
In this case, the White Turtlehead ( Chelone glabra) is the only host plant that this butterfly will use. In wet meadows and ditches, the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly seeks out the Turtlehead, a creamy white pink-rimmed flower of the snapdragon family.