Tiny Checkerspot (Dymasia dymas)
This adult is atop a composite flower of a Sawtooth Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) bloom. Frogfruit is excellent for nectaring butterflies, plays hostplant for numerous butterfly species, tolerates foot traffic even in locales where most plants do not, and is native to boot.
The frogfruit is doing great on Post Road and at Post Park, the latter where this individual was photographed today.
Tiny blooms. Tiny butterfly.
Very active, it rarely rests its wings; even when perched.
Tiny Checkerspots inhabit the southwest, from south and far-west TX to deep-southern CA. They range over much of Mexico.
I suppose I've seen an adult or two of this species fly by me no longer than within a week's time. They just never stopped, or I was sadly doing something else.
Good to see D. dymas flying again this year. They have more than one brood, and we've had recent rains.
It would be great to see this species in July at the Birds and Butterflies of the Big Bend festival in the latter half of July.
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