Baltimore Checkerspot Larval Diet Not Limited to Turtlehead
My prior post erroneously stated that Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) was the only host plant of Baltimore Checker larvae. They also feed on Hairy Beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus), English Plantain (Plantago lanceolata), and False Foxglove (Aureolaria sp.). Thanks to a very astute reader who caught this misstatement!
Baltimore Checkerspot Larvae Feeding On Turtlehead
At this time of year, just as Turtlehead is flowering, a butterfly known as the Baltimore Checkerspot is mating and laying bright red eggs on the underside of Turtlehead’s leaves. This is the only plant on which Baltimore Checkerspot eggs are laid, and the only plant which the larvae eat. When the eggs hatch, the tiny larvae proceed to spin a web that envelopes them and the leaves of the Turtlehead plant that they are eating. They eat profusely, enlarging the web as they expand the area to include uneaten leaves. Eventually, as fall approaches, they will spin a pre-hibernation web where they remain until late fall when they migrate down into the leaf litter. While most butterflies and moths overwinter as eggs or pupae, the Baltimore Checkerspot remains in its larval stage until spring, when it forms a chrysalis, pupates and emerges as an adult butterfly.
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