Chlosyne nycteis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Chlosyne nycteis, the silvery checkerspot, is a species of Nymphalinae butterfly that occurs in North America. In the United States, it is listed as a species of special concern in Connecticut and Maine, and is believed to be extirpated in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
The dorsal view is pale yellow-orange with dark borders and markings. The hindwing has white-centered submarginal spots on both sides, dorsal and ventral. The hindwing is pale and has a white crescent at the margin. The caterpillar is almost all black with dusted white spots. Sometimes, it has a yellow-orange stripe or two smaller stripes along the side. The family Nymphalidae is known for its branched spines.
Their range consists of southern Canada south to Georgia, Florida, and Texas. Silvery checkerspots enjoy moist areas such as streamsides. They can also be seen in meadows and forest openings. In the northern portion of its habitat, one brood hatches between June and July; for the remainder of its range, two broods occur from May to September. Three broods have been reported in the deep southern part of Texas... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Silvery Checkerspot sighting in Houston on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 847th most-seen of the 1057 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Silvery Checkerspot in Houston on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Silvery Checkerspot sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Silvery Checkerspot sightings, Houston ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Austin (United States, about 10%), Washington (United States, about 10%) and Dallas (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Silvery Checkerspot that you can see in Houston (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Gulf Fritillary (about 30%), Monarch (about 30%) and Common Buckeye (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Silvery Checkerspot is recorded against all the insects logged in Houston (7 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
