About Euptoieta claudia (Cramer, 1775)
Euptoieta claudia (Cramer, 1775) has wings with an orange and black checkered pattern on the upperside. Both the forewings and hindwings have a row of submarginal black spots, and black median lines that cross the wings. On the underside, the forewing is orange, with a pale orange spot outlined in black located in the forewing cell. The underside of the hindwing is mottled with shades of brown and gray, and features a pale postmedian band, with no silvering present. This species has a wingspan of 1.75–2.25 inches, which equals 44–57 mm. This butterfly is most often found in open, disturbed habitats, including clover and alfalfa fields, pastures, general fields, waste areas, roadsides, and mountain meadows. During its life cycle, males actively patrol areas to search for females. Females lay their pale green or cream-colored eggs singly on the leaves and stems of host plants. The larvae feed on the leaves, flowers, and stems of their host food plant. Larvae are red, with black subdorsal and spiracular stripes that contain white spotting. In many individuals, the white markings are more noticeable than the black. The red middorsal stripe holds one oval-shaped spot per segment, which are most often white, but sometimes black. Larvae have six rows of black spines, and a pair of long, clubbed spines on the head. The chrysalis is primarily shiny white, with small black spots, a variable amount of brown markings, and orange and gold tubercules. Adult butterflies overwinter in southern areas, and fly northward each spring and summer. This species produces 2–3 broods per year.
