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Edith's checkerspot
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Edith's checkerspot
Edith's checkerspot (Euphydryas editha) is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is a resident species of western North America and among the subspecies, entomologists have long been intrigued by their many phenotypic variations in coloration, wing length, and overall body size. Most populations are monophagous and rely on plants including Plantago erecta, Pedicularis semibarbata, Collinsia torreyi and Orthocarpus densiflorus as their host species in developing from eggs through to larvae, pupae, and mature butterflies. Males exhibit polygyny whereas females rarely mate more than once. Males devote most of their attention to mate acquisition, and such mate locating strategies such as hilltopping behavior have developed. Climate change, range shifts and habitat destruction have impacted certain subspecies. Three subspecies in particular, Euphydryas editha quino, Euphydryas editha bayensis and Euphydryas editha taylori, are currently under protection via the Endangered Species Act.
The Edith's checkerspot can be identified by its wings which are black with red and pale yellow or white bands. It also has a submarginal band that consists of yellow or white spots along with a wide postmedian band that is red. The undersides of the wings consists of alternating bands of yellow orange and cream. The wingspan is 3.2 to 5.1 centimetres (1.3 to 2.0 in). However, the subspecies of Edith's checkerspot vary slightly in appearance based on the areas they routinely inhabit. Coastal populations are black with red and cream spots; mountain populations are red or mottled with red, black, and cream spots. The higher-altitude populations are smaller and darker. The larvae of the butterfly are black, spotted with white or orange, or striped with white. The pupae are white or gray, with black blotches and streaks.
The Edith's checkerspot is found in North America, where it ranges from southern British Columbia and Alberta south to Baja California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. The species can be found in locations of the San Bernardino Mountains, Sierra Nevada, higher Cascade Mountains of Oregon to Washington, and in areas of the Great Basin, including central Oregon and the Rocky Mountains. It can also be found on several trails such as Animas River Trail, Falls Creek Trail, Colorado Trail, Hermosa Creek Trail, Engineer Mountain Trail, and Spud Lake Trail.
Habitats are mountains, typically on ridgetops, from coastal chaparral and transition zone open woodland to alpine tundra. Edith's checkerspot butterflies prefer grasslands and rocky outcrops found in the mountains. They can be frequently found in areas of nutrient-poor, serpentine soils which sustain the native grasslands that they prefer. They can also be spotted around streams or rock pools which males visit to drink and absorb minerals and salts from the waters.
Edith's checkerspot caterpillars will use various species of paintbrush (Castilleja), beardtongues (Penstemon), lousewort (Pedicularis), owl's clover (Orthocarpus), Chinese houses (Collinsia), and plantain (Plantago) as host plants. Many populations of the butterfly are monophagous and preference for the different plant types are based mainly on location. Many behaviors, such as egg laying habits and movements are locally adapted, so the survival of the butterflies relies heavily on the growing season of these host plants.
Populations of Edith's checkerspots use several different hosts to house and feed their larvae. Though they usually do not pollinate the flowers of the host, larvae have been known to eat the leaves, the flowers, and sometimes the entire host plant, and have starved trying to find another. Adult females and females feed on flower nectar. Caterpillars feed on leaves and flowers of the host plant and sometimes surrounding plants. Pre-diapause larvae tend to show stronger preference for particular host plants and only feed on the plant where they hatch from the egg, wheareas post-diapause larve are more generalist and feed on a variety of plants.
Different populations of Edith's checkerspot butterflies show strong preference for specific host plants, depending on the availability of plants in their habitat. This preference appears to be heritable and has been extensively studied by Michael C. Singer and Camille Parmesan who developed a method to test the strength of the butterfly's preference for a host plant (the discrimination index). This was done by repeatedly exposing the butterflies to their least preferred host plant and recording how long they would continue to refuse it, before accepting and laying eggs on their least preferred host. Based on this, one can then calculate the discrimination index and the strength of preference for a particular host plant. This means that the preference for a particular host plant is a heritable trait that is passed down through generations in this butterfly. In addition, new research is now studying the genetic basis of this heritable host plant preference at the molecular level.
Oviposition begins within a day of the female's emergence, with females depositing masses of up to hundreds of eggs at the base of host plants. The size of egg clutches varies strongly by population and host plant used, with plants such as Collinsia torreyi typically hosting clutches of between 20 - 50 eggs, while Pedicularis semibarbata typically hosts clutches of up to 200 eggs. Most populations are monophagous, with females normally ovipositing on only one of several potential host species. Such plants include Plantago erecta, Pedicularis semibarbata, Collinsia torreyi and Orthocarpus densiflorus.
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Edith's checkerspot
Edith's checkerspot (Euphydryas editha) is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is a resident species of western North America and among the subspecies, entomologists have long been intrigued by their many phenotypic variations in coloration, wing length, and overall body size. Most populations are monophagous and rely on plants including Plantago erecta, Pedicularis semibarbata, Collinsia torreyi and Orthocarpus densiflorus as their host species in developing from eggs through to larvae, pupae, and mature butterflies. Males exhibit polygyny whereas females rarely mate more than once. Males devote most of their attention to mate acquisition, and such mate locating strategies such as hilltopping behavior have developed. Climate change, range shifts and habitat destruction have impacted certain subspecies. Three subspecies in particular, Euphydryas editha quino, Euphydryas editha bayensis and Euphydryas editha taylori, are currently under protection via the Endangered Species Act.
The Edith's checkerspot can be identified by its wings which are black with red and pale yellow or white bands. It also has a submarginal band that consists of yellow or white spots along with a wide postmedian band that is red. The undersides of the wings consists of alternating bands of yellow orange and cream. The wingspan is 3.2 to 5.1 centimetres (1.3 to 2.0 in). However, the subspecies of Edith's checkerspot vary slightly in appearance based on the areas they routinely inhabit. Coastal populations are black with red and cream spots; mountain populations are red or mottled with red, black, and cream spots. The higher-altitude populations are smaller and darker. The larvae of the butterfly are black, spotted with white or orange, or striped with white. The pupae are white or gray, with black blotches and streaks.
The Edith's checkerspot is found in North America, where it ranges from southern British Columbia and Alberta south to Baja California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. The species can be found in locations of the San Bernardino Mountains, Sierra Nevada, higher Cascade Mountains of Oregon to Washington, and in areas of the Great Basin, including central Oregon and the Rocky Mountains. It can also be found on several trails such as Animas River Trail, Falls Creek Trail, Colorado Trail, Hermosa Creek Trail, Engineer Mountain Trail, and Spud Lake Trail.
Habitats are mountains, typically on ridgetops, from coastal chaparral and transition zone open woodland to alpine tundra. Edith's checkerspot butterflies prefer grasslands and rocky outcrops found in the mountains. They can be frequently found in areas of nutrient-poor, serpentine soils which sustain the native grasslands that they prefer. They can also be spotted around streams or rock pools which males visit to drink and absorb minerals and salts from the waters.
Edith's checkerspot caterpillars will use various species of paintbrush (Castilleja), beardtongues (Penstemon), lousewort (Pedicularis), owl's clover (Orthocarpus), Chinese houses (Collinsia), and plantain (Plantago) as host plants. Many populations of the butterfly are monophagous and preference for the different plant types are based mainly on location. Many behaviors, such as egg laying habits and movements are locally adapted, so the survival of the butterflies relies heavily on the growing season of these host plants.
Populations of Edith's checkerspots use several different hosts to house and feed their larvae. Though they usually do not pollinate the flowers of the host, larvae have been known to eat the leaves, the flowers, and sometimes the entire host plant, and have starved trying to find another. Adult females and females feed on flower nectar. Caterpillars feed on leaves and flowers of the host plant and sometimes surrounding plants. Pre-diapause larvae tend to show stronger preference for particular host plants and only feed on the plant where they hatch from the egg, wheareas post-diapause larve are more generalist and feed on a variety of plants.
Different populations of Edith's checkerspot butterflies show strong preference for specific host plants, depending on the availability of plants in their habitat. This preference appears to be heritable and has been extensively studied by Michael C. Singer and Camille Parmesan who developed a method to test the strength of the butterfly's preference for a host plant (the discrimination index). This was done by repeatedly exposing the butterflies to their least preferred host plant and recording how long they would continue to refuse it, before accepting and laying eggs on their least preferred host. Based on this, one can then calculate the discrimination index and the strength of preference for a particular host plant. This means that the preference for a particular host plant is a heritable trait that is passed down through generations in this butterfly. In addition, new research is now studying the genetic basis of this heritable host plant preference at the molecular level.
Oviposition begins within a day of the female's emergence, with females depositing masses of up to hundreds of eggs at the base of host plants. The size of egg clutches varies strongly by population and host plant used, with plants such as Collinsia torreyi typically hosting clutches of between 20 - 50 eggs, while Pedicularis semibarbata typically hosts clutches of up to 200 eggs. Most populations are monophagous, with females normally ovipositing on only one of several potential host species. Such plants include Plantago erecta, Pedicularis semibarbata, Collinsia torreyi and Orthocarpus densiflorus.
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