#melitaeini

Edith's Checkerspot (Euphydryas editha)

Rare Butterfly Returns To San Diego National Wildlife Refuge | KPBS

The endangered Quino checkerspots are flying on the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge this spring for the first time in years. Martin knelt in a patch of coastal sage scrub. The spaces between bigger plants were covered with algae, lichens and mosses which keep invasive weeds at bay. "But allow this plant, this tiny little grass like plant — plantago erecta — to grow in profusion. And the caterpillars of the Quino checkerspot need this plant to survive," Martin said. This habitat is considered prime territory for the Quino. In fact, the fragile butterfly lays eggs on or around plantago erecta, the scientific name for the California plantain, in the spring. The insect's eggs and the larvae spend most of their life on the plant, the ground or safely tucked in a web-like cocoon. Quinos have a specialized ability to hibernate when environmental conditions are not good. "When they emerge from summer dormancy, when the winter rains come out, they cause this plant to emerge and start growing caterpillars," Martin said, "to emerge from dormancy and eat this, and grow and shed their skins, and grow some more until they're about three centimeters long."

Quino Checkerspot Butterflies mating (via Pacific Southwest Region USFWS)