Checkered White

Description:

Not a large butterfly. This Checkered white had white wings with brown and blackish markings on wings. The body appears to be a dark black or blue in color.

Habitat:

Found in most of parts of the United States, northern Mexico, and southern Canada. This butterfly can be found in open fields, weedy areas, and pastures Ref: https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/spec... https://www.butterfliesathome.com/checke...

Notes:

We found this butterfly in a weedy field next to our playground. We have seen several in the past couple of weeks. This butterfly feeds off of flower nectar, and uses the following plants as host plants: mustards, cabbage, alfalfa, broccoli, cauliflower, and peppergrass. Interesting Facts: The life cycle for this butterfly is as follows: Egg stage lasts 4-7 days, larval stage 2-4 weeks, pupal stage 8-14 days, adult stage 6-10 days. It is reported that this butterfly uses the angle of its' wings to conduct a form of sun basking. Wing elevation reduces cooling therefore effecting its' body temperature. Ref: https://www.butterfliesathome.com/checke... http://jeb.biologists.org/content/154/1/...