The Baltimore Checkerspot is a striking butterfly that became Maryland’s state insect in 1973. It was named after the first Lord Baltimore, whose coat of arms shared the butterfly’s bold colors. The Baltimore’s wings are black, edged with a band of orange spots, and marked with rows of white spots closer to the body.

 

“Baltimore Checkerspot” by Joshua Mayer, licensed under (CC BY-SA 2.0)

 

Baltimore Checkerspot Facts

Butterfly Family: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Nymphalinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 1 3/4 – 2 3/4 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Wet meadows, bogs, and marshes in the northeast part of the range; dry open or wooded hillsides in the southwest

 

🪴 Host Plants

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

• Hairy Beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus)

• White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra)

 

🌸 Nectar Plants

Adult Baltimore Checkerspot butterflies feed on nectar from the following native flowers:

• Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.)

• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

• Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

• Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

• Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)

• Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum spp.)

• Spreading Dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium)

• Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

• Vervain (Verbena spp.)

• Wild Blackberry (Rubus spp.)

• Wild Rose (Rosa spp.)