Tiny Checkerspot (Dymasia dymas [W. H. Edwards])
Wing span: 7/8 - 1 3/8 inches (2.3 - 3.5 cm).
Identification: Upperside is light brownish orange with narrow dark markings; wings may have dark borders. Female often larger and lighter colored. Underside has a black terminal line and white marginal spots that are flat on the outer edge.
Life history: Males patrol for females in flats and gulches. Eggs are laid in small groups on the host plant; caterpillars eat leaves.
Flight: Three or four flights from February-November in South Texas, March-October in New Mexico and California.
Caterpillar hosts: Hairy tubetongue (Siphonoglossa pilosella) in the acanthus family.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Subtropical scrub and desert, especially near valleys and washes.
Range: Central Mexico and Baja California north to southern California, central Arizona, central New Mexico, and South Texas.
