Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly

The Baltimore checkerspot is a brushfoot butterfly that is found in North America. Here in Minnesota they are most often found in the eastern half of the state where the larval host plant, white turtlehead, grows. Unlike most butterflies the Baltimore checkerspot overwinters in its larval state. In the late summer the larva quit eating and go into a state of hibernation. They usually spend the winter mixed in with fallen leaves and dead plants on the ground.