Virginia Ecology - Yellow Wingstem and the Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly

The other day, while walking my dog Amelie, I spotted some tall plants that I had mistakenly assumed would turn out to be Joe Pyeweed. I soon realized they were Yellow Wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia) -a plant that can grow to 13 feet tall-another of Virginia's many native wildflowers. They are located along an edge of the yard that is partly shaded-a suitable environment for Yellow Wingstem. Then I noticed one of them, perhaps five feet tall, was nothing but veins. Every tiny bit of vegetation not a vein had been consumed. Every bit!

Meet the Yellow Wingstem Nemesis Chlosyne nycteis

Of course I knew right away that a caterpillar had to be responsible, and that there must be a number of them. I spotted several fuzzy black caterpillars with lighter underbodies, approximately one inch in length. I determined to research them to learn what I had discovered. I obtained the needed information on the website, Turning Points.
The culprit could be one of two species-the Gold Moth-or the Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly. Searching both I realized the latter was a gourmand. It is known to entirely strip a Yellow Wingstem.

Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly and Caterpillar

I discovered the caterpillars here in Nelson County on August 9th. The length of the caterpillars suggested to me they had made their first appearance in the first week of August. That probably means eggs were laid in the latter part of July. The website Butterflies and Moths of North America displays some excellent copyrighted photographs of the butterfly and the caterpillar. It should be noted that Yellow Wingstem is not the only food for these creatures. They also dine on Milkweed, Red Clover, and Dogbane - all found in Virginia, and indeed, in Nelson County.

More on Yellow Wingstem

Sometimes mistaken for Yellow Crownbeard, the Yellow Wingstem has alternating leaves. Identified by many (including the Virginia Tech website listed in references) as a weed, some choose to view Wingstem as a native wildflower. Another website referenced below even offers Yellow Wingstem seed for sale. Plant a weed!

Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly - Chlosyne nycteis

Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide - Wingstem: Verbesina alternifolia

Roundstone Native Seed