A Butterfly Special To Maryland

A Baltimore Checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton) seen at Brookside Gardens in Montgomery County, Maryland. It’s the Maryland state insect. I grew up in Maryland and this, the first time I’ve ever seen this beautiful butterfly.

Just a short while after seeing that butterfly I happened upon this caterpillar at Buck Hollow, in Shenandoah National Park, where I was working at invasives removal as a Master Naturalist. It is the caterpillar of the Baltimore Checkerspot.

Since then I’ve added White turtlehead (Chelone glabra) to my garden. That’s a larval host plant of Baltimore Checkerspot. So far I haven’t seen any but I’m still hopeful.

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Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

2 thoughts on “A Butterfly Special To Maryland”

  1. What a beautiful butterfly! I hope you see many more in your garden. Wonderful pictures!

    1. Hi Diane! I’m hoping that I’ll get to see some of these beauties! We had such a HOT start to the summer and we’re in a severe drought now. Nearly all my plants are not happy about these conditions. In the meantime, maybe I can go up to Buck Mountain, where I saw that caterpillar. Caterpillars mean there are butterflies. So very glad you like the photos!

      So very glad you are reading my posts!!
      Bren

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