Great meeting on the Baltimore Checkerspot ernbutterfly (our state insect) yesterday withan amazing team of folks that are working to hopefully create a corridor of sites across Harford County that these butterflies can use for their life cycle. A bonus was getting to observe some caterpillars and freshly emerged butterflies that had been headstarted!
Checkerspots are declining in many areas due to loss of wetland habitat where their host plants are found- the White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra), deer eating their host plants, and possibly climate change in areas like Maryland since we are at the south end of their range. Captive breeding programs have begun to help give them a better chance at surviving and offset the causes for their decline.
