Chlosyne nycteis
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Silvery Checkerspot sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 135 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 48th most-seen of the 822 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Silvery Checkerspot in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to March, the lowest months.
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.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Silvery Checkerspot sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 10%) and Rocky Mountain National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Silvery Checkerspot that you can see in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Limenitis astyanax (about 30%), Great Spangled Fritillary (about 30%) and Eastern Comma (about 30%), 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 Great Smoky Mountains National Park (135 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
