Bug FAQBordered Patch
Chlosyne lacinia · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
The bordered patch is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of about 32 to 48 mm and distinctive black wings marked with white or yellow-orange spots. It lives in a variety of open habitats across North and South America, from desert hills and woodlands in the U.S. to disturbed roadside areas in Central America. Adults appear from early spring to late fall depending on the region and produce three to four generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The upper side of the wings is mainly black with rows of white or yellow-orange spots on the forewings; the underside varies similarly.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from about 1 ¼ to 1 ⁷⁄₈ inches (32 to 48 mm).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
In the United States it is found in desert hills, mesquite, pinyon, and oak woodlands. In Central America it frequents roadside verges, unmowed rows between citrus plantations, and other disturbed ground with host plants from the Asteraceae, Acanthaceae, and Amaranthaceae families.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
It has three to four generations annually, and the third-instar larva can hibernate and estivate.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Similar species include the crimson patch, rosita patch, and red-spotted patch; the crimson patch is larger, has two spots in the forewing cell, and a yellow basal patch with black spots on the hindwing underside.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 13 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, California, Kansas, Nebraska.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Are bordered patches a garden pest?
The available information does not indicate they damage plants or crops.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlosyne_lacinia
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.