Bug FAQGabb's Checkerspot
Chlosyne gabbii · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
Gabb's Checkerspot is a very rare butterfly with a wingspan of about 32 to 45 mm. It lives in California and can be seen as an adult from May through July.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The upper wings show a bright orange-brown and black checkered pattern, while the underside of the hindwing has pearly-white spots.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from roughly 32 to 45 millimetres (1.3 to 1.8 in).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
This butterfly is found only in California in the western United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May to July.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
You can encounter adults during the months of May, June and July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to California, part of the western United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 10 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Florida.
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
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlosyne_gabbii
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.