(Chlosyne palla)
True Brushfoots
Appearance: Above, bands of yellow and creamy orange with median band often paler; dark brown basal area on hindwing. Distinctive below with reddish orange color and creamy or pale yellow (not white) basal spots, median band and marginal crescents. Females variable, from orange with black markings to mostly black with creamy bands.
Wingspan: Medium; 1 3/8 to 1 7/8 inches.
Habitat: Openings in aspen woodlands, meadows, streamsides, and clearings; foothills, montane.
Flight Times: April to mid-August; one brood.
Larval Foodplant: Rabbitbrush, goldenrods, fleabane daisies, and other asters.
Did You Know…
Males perch in valleys or patrol near host plants for females. Eggs are laid in groups on the underside of host plant leaves. Caterpillars feed together when young, sometimes in a slight silk web. Partially-grown caterpillars overwinter. This is a butterfly with highly variable markings showing regional and gender differences. The pattern on the underside of the hindwing is usually sufficient to separate it from similar species.
