Chlosyne leanira
Chlosyne leanira, the leanira checkerspot, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in North America from western Oregon south to California, Nevada, Utah and western Colorado, as well as Baja California. The wingspan is 33–40 mm. Generally, females are larger than males, but males have a more apparent red color to their wings. Adults feed on flower nectar while the larvae feed on "Castilleja" plants in the Orobanchaceae plant family, particularly the leaves and flowers of this host plant. Young larvae live together in a loose web. Third-instar larvae hibernate, and examination of "Chlosyne  leanira" in Gates Canyon, California revealed that they overwinter as larvae. Subspecies. Multiple subspecies of "C. leanira" have been identified: Phylogenetic Relationships. Taxonomic relationships of "Chlosyne" and related genera. Phylogenetic relationships of butterfly species in the family Nymphalidae were analyzed using mitochondrial DNA sequences. Four species groups were found to be monophyletic: "Euphydryas", "Phyciodes", "Chlosyne", and "Melitaea" groups. The following genera were found to be paraphyletic: "Castilia, Didymaeformia, Eresia, Melitaea, and Thessalia". tribe Melitaeini. The tribe Melitaeini consists of about 250 species divided into five generic groups known as the "Euphydryas", "Phyciodes", "Chlosyne", "Gnathotriche", and "Melitaea" groups. Three subtribes were  recognized in the tribe Melitaeini, which include Euphydryiti, Phycioditi, and Melitaeiti. The subtribe Melitaeiti includes the "Chlosyne", "Gnathotriche", and "Melitaea" groups. The "Chlosyne" group of species occurs in the Nearctic region, as do the "Euphydryas" and "Phyciodes" groups. Section::::"Chlosyne" group. The "Chlosyne" group includes 30 species that were split into 5 genera. Most species were placed into the genus "Chlosyne" due to great similarity in male genitalia, but three species were placed into the genus "Thessalia" due to a difference in male genitalia. In a phylogenetic analysis of different butterfly species, "Thessalia leanira" was categorized under the "Chlosyne" group. The  phylogenetic analysis also suggested that in the subtribe Melitaeiti (within the tribe Melitaeini), the genus "Chlosyne" is synonymous with "Thessalia". However, the DNA sequences from species within "Chlosyne" exhibited great enough divergence to suggest that "Chlosyne" should be separate from Melitaeiti. While species in "Thessalia" appear to be basal and paraphyletic to "Chlosyne" in the predicted cladogram, "Thessalia" is still conservatively grouped within "Chlosyne". Physical Description. The wingspan of males has been described as 33-35 mm, and the wingspan of females has been described as 36-40 mm. The upper surface of the wings of both sexes is dark  brown as the ground color; although the dark brown appears as small macules. The forewings have red scales at their base and apex. Red marginal lunules are also present on the forewings of both sexes, but they’re best visualized in males. The under surface of the forewings has an orange-red ground color as well as pale and dark markings. The hindwings’ undersurface has sub-basal fascia that extend across the costa, cell, and inner margin. Food. Adult "Chlosyne leanira" subspecies have a variety of flower preferences. Section::::"Chlosyne leanira fulvia". "Thessalia leanira fulvia" is synonymous to "Chlosyne leanira fulvia . Chlosyne leanira fulvia" larvae consume (Orobanchaceae) "Castilleja integra", a flowering plant. Additionally, "C. leanira fulvia" prefers yellow or white flowers such as white to light rose-toned "Allium textile", white Asteracaeae shrubs, white "Ceanothus fendleri", yellow "Heterotheca villosa", and white "Nasturtium officinale". Section::::"Chlosyne leanira alma". "C. leanira alma" prefers white flowers such as "Leucelene ericoides". Section::::"Chlosyne leanira leanira". "C. leanira leanira" prefers white "Achillea millefolium lanulosa" and yellow Asteraceae. Distribution. California. In an 8-year period, only 6 "Chlosyne" "leanira wrighti" were observed in Hall Canyon, which is located in Ventura, California. A survey of butterfly species in the Sutter  Buttes mountain range in California's Central Valley did not uncover any C. "leanira". Sutter Buttes is characterized by its long, hot summers and short, wet winters, with an annual precipitation of about 51 cm. It consists of grasslands, chaparral, oak woodland, and scattered wetlands. However, "C. leanira" was detected at two sites similar to Sutter Buttes in a study comparing the presence of different butterfly species in three similar locations. The two sites were Gates Canyon in California and in the Sierra Nevada Range in Washington. In another study, "C. leanira" was again seen in Gates Canyon, which is  northeast of San Francisco. However, only one brood was observed between 1976 and 2002. Oregon. "C. leanira" was also present in the Ashland Watershed Reserve, which is located in the Siskiyou Mountains in Oregon. The watershed includes mainly hardwood plants, and the mountains that the Ashland Watershed is located in is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters with an annual precipitation of about 51 cm. Specifically, C. "leanira" was present in forest areas with prescribed fires, forest areas that had not burned since at least1978, and fuel break areas in Ashland Watershed.