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Chalcedon Checkerspot

Euphydryas chalcedona

CA Special Concern

California Species of Special Concern

Medium butterfly with bold red-orange and cream checkerboard pattern. Host plant-specific to paintbrush and owl's clover. Locally variable populations indicate specialized habitat requirements in Bay Area foothills.

Plants that support Chalcedon Checkerspot

Sun Exposure
Water
Size
Garden Style
Plant Traits

61 plants

California Chia

California Chia

Salvia columbariae

critical

annual

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Chinese Houses

Chinese Houses

Collinsia heterophylla

critical

annual

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Coast Wallflower

Coast Wallflower

Erysimum capitatum

critical

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Common Woolly Sunflower

Common Woolly Sunflower

Eriophyllum lanatum var. achilleoides

critical

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Heart leaved keckiella

Heart leaved keckiella

Keckiella cordifolia

critical

shrub

Larval Host

Indian Warrior

Indian Warrior

Pedicularis densiflora

critical

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Interior Goldenbush

Interior Goldenbush

Ericameria linearifolia

critical

shrub

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Silver bush lupine

Silver bush lupine

Lupinus albifrons

critical

shrub

Larval Host

Bay Area native Keystone species
Sonoma Mountain Pride

Sonoma Mountain Pride

Penstemon newberryi var. sonomensis

critical

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Yellow Bush Penstemon

Yellow Bush Penstemon

Keckiella antirrhinoides

critical

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Yerba Santa

Yerba Santa

Eriodictyon californicum

critical

shrub

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Blue Dips

Blue Dips

Dichelostemma capitatum

high

geophyte

Larval Host

Brewer's Ragwort

Brewer's Ragwort

Packera breweri

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Butterfly Mariposa Lily

Butterfly Mariposa Lily

Calochortus venustus

high

geophyte

Larval Host

Bay Area native
California Ash

California Ash

Fraxinus dipetala

high

tree

Larval Host

Bay Area native Keystone species
California Seathrift

California Seathrift

Armeria maritima ssp. californica

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

California Wild Rose

California Wild Rose

Rosa californica

high

shrub

Larval Host

Bay Area native Keystone species
California goldfields

California goldfields

Lasthenia californica

high

annual

Larval Host

Bay Area native
California pearly everlasting

California pearly everlasting

Pseudognaphalium californicum

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Canyon Dudleya

Canyon Dudleya

Dudleya cymosa

high

succulent

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Canyon Sunflower

Canyon Sunflower

Venegasia carpesioides

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Chamise

Chamise

Adenostoma fasciculatum

high

shrub

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Clustered Broomrape

Clustered Broomrape

Aphyllon fasciculatum

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Common Fiddleneck

Common Fiddleneck

Amsinckia menziesii

high

annual

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Deerbrush

Deerbrush

Ceanothus integerrimus

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native Keystone species
Distant Phacelia

Distant Phacelia

Phacelia distans

high

annual

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Dotseed Plantain

Dotseed Plantain

Plantago erecta

high

annual

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Exserted Indian Paintbrush

Exserted Indian Paintbrush

Castilleja exserta subsp. exserta

high

annual

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Foothill Penstemon

Foothill Penstemon

Penstemon heterophyllus

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Frying Pans

Frying Pans

Eschscholzia lobbii

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Glandular Layia

Glandular Layia

Layia glandulosa

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Golden yarrow

Golden yarrow

Eriophyllum confertiflorum

high

shrub

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Mountain Coyote Mint

Mountain Coyote Mint

Monardella odoratissima

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Narrowleaf mule ears

Narrowleaf mule ears

Wyethia angustifolia

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Ninebark

Ninebark

Physocarpus capitatus

high

shrub

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Oregon Bigroot

Oregon Bigroot

Marah oregana

high

vine

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Popcorn-flower

Popcorn-flower

Plagiobothrys nothofulvus

high

annual

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Rayless Arnica

Rayless Arnica

Arnica discoidea

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Sticky Monkey Flower

Sticky Monkey Flower

Diplacus aurantiacus

high

shrub

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Sugarbush

Sugarbush

Rhus ovata

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Texas Indian Paintbrush

Texas Indian Paintbrush

Castilleja foliolosa

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Vervain

Vervain

Verbena lasiostachys var. scabrida

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Whitehead Mule-ears

Whitehead Mule-ears

Wyethia helenioides

high

perennial herb

Foliage

Bay Area native
Woodland Sunflower*

Woodland Sunflower*

Layia gaillardioides

high

annual

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Woolly Mule's Ears's

Woolly Mule's Ears's

Wyethia mollis

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

American Cow-parsnip

American Cow-parsnip

Heracleum maximum

perennial herb

Nectar

Bay Area native
Bird's-eye Gilia

Bird's-eye Gilia

Gilia tricolor subsp. tricolor

annual

Nectar

Bay Area native
Blue Field Gilia

Blue Field Gilia

Gilia capitata

annual

Nectar

Bay Area native
California Coffeeberry

California Coffeeberry

Frangula californica

shrub

Larval Host

Bay Area native
California Goldenrod

California Goldenrod

Solidago velutina ssp. californica

perennial herb

Nectar

Bay Area native Keystone species
California Lilac (Blue Blossom)

California Lilac (Blue Blossom)

Ceanothus thyrsiflorus

shrub

Larval Host

Bay Area native Keystone species
California Yampah

California Yampah

Perideridia californica

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Dense-flower Indian Paintbrush

Dense-flower Indian Paintbrush

Castilleja densiflora subsp. Densiflora

annual

Nectar

Bay Area native
Ithuriel's Spear

Ithuriel's Spear

Triteleia laxa

geophyte

Nectar

Bay Area native
Mariposa Lily (Yellow)

Mariposa Lily (Yellow)

Calochortus luteus

geophyte

Nectar

Bay Area native
Ocean Spray

Ocean Spray

Holodiscus discolor

shrub

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Pink Honeysuckle

Pink Honeysuckle

Lonicera hispidula

vine

Nectar

Bay Area native
Ruby Chalice Clarkia

Ruby Chalice Clarkia

Clarkia rubicunda

annual

Nectar

Bay Area native
Sky Lupine

Sky Lupine

Lupinus nanus

annual

Nectar

Bay Area native Keystone species
Tarweed

Tarweed

Madia elegans

annual

Nectar

Bay Area native
Woodbalm

Woodbalm

Lepechinia calycina

shrub

Nectar

Bay Area native