The Gorgone Checkerspot is a small, vibrant orange butterfly marked with bold black patterns across its wings. The upper side of the wings features a checkerboard of orange and black, while the underside is even more distinctive, displaying a zigzag pattern of brown and white bands. This intricate design provides excellent camouflage when the butterfly is at rest.

 

“Gorgone Checkerspot” by Aaron Brees, licensed under (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US)

 

Gorgone Checkerspot Facts

Butterfly Family: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Nymphalinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 1 1/4 – 1 3/4 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Open areas including ridges, prairies, streamsides, open hardwood forests, old fields, and forest edges

 

🪴 Host Plants

These are the plants where Gorgone Checkerspot females lay eggs and caterpillars feed:

• Sunflowers (Helianthus spp.)

 

🌸 Nectar Plants

Adult Gorgone Checkerspot butterflies feed on nectar from:

• Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.)

• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

• Blazing Star (Liatris spp.)

• Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.)

• Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)

• Ironweed (Vernonia spp.)

• Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)

• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

• Sunflowers (Helianthus spp.)