Common names: Gorgone Checkerspot

The Gorgone Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone) is a species of Nymphalinae

Nymphalinae

Nymphalinae is a subfamily of brush-footed butterflies . Sometimes, the Limenitidinae are included here as further tribe, while the Melitaeini are occasionally considered a distinct subfamily.- Systematics:...

 that occurs in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

.

Description

The wingspan is between 32 and 45 mm. The dorsal side of the wings are orange with black markings and the hindwings have a submarginal row of solid black dots. The ventral view has a zigzag pattern of brown and white bands with a median band of white chevrons.

Range and habitat

The Gorgone Checkerspot's range consists of Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

 east to southern Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, south into central Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, between the Rocky Mountains

Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...

 and Appalachians. Within its range they can most commonly be seen in open areas including ridges, prairies and old fields. They can also be seen at streamsides and in open hardwood forests.

Life cycle

In the northern range there is one brood between July and August, two in the mid-range between May and September and three in the southern range between April and September. The females lay their eggs in clusters on the underside of their host plants. Early instar caterpillars feed in groups and 3rd instar caterpillars hibernate.

Larval foods

• Helianthus
  Helianthus
  Helianthus L. is a genus of plants comprising 52 species in the Asteraceae family, all of which are native to North America, with some species Helianthus L. is a genus of plants comprising 52 species in the Asteraceae family, all of which are native to North America, with some species Helianthus...
  
   sp.
• Ambrosia trifida
  Ambrosia trifida
  Common names: Buffalo Weed, Great Ragweed, Giant Ragweed, Bitterweed, Bloodweed, Horse Cane, Tall AmbrosiaAmbrosia trifida is an annual plant in the aster family, native throughout much of North America. Its flowers are green and are pollinated by wind rather than by insects, and the pollen is one...
  
  
• Iva xanthifolia
• Viguiera multiflora