What’s in a Name? The Euphydryas chalcedona Butterfly…

The Euphydryas chalcedona butterfly is also known as the Chalcedon Checkerspot, the Variable Checkerspot, the Anicia Checkerspot and the Colon Checkerspot… which butterfly is this anyway ???

Euphydrayas chalcedona

Most people use common names when referring to local butterflies, but each butterfly also has a scientific name assigned to it and thank goodness for that!

Silene california (Silene meaning - perennial with red or pink flowers).. aka California Indian Pink or California Scarlet Campion

Throughout the history of western science most documentary literature, with respect to the naming of a species, has been written in Latin. The practice of using Latin descriptions has continued over time so that scientists and others who speak different languages can communicate and understand that they are talking about the same species. Many plants and animals have common names which differ by regions and using universal names to identify a group avoids confusion among all.

The Latin title given to a particular species may be assigned for many different reasons. Some are named after characters found in Greek or Roman mythology, others are titled because of where they were found or who discovered them, and many receive their labels due to unique appearances or patterns of color.

Euphydrayas chalcedona... variable with a beautiful deep orange-red color

In the case of  the Euphydrayas chalcedona, we can learn by researching the origins of the word that the butterfly was named for it physical characteristics.

The name Chalcedon came from the Latin word, chalcdonius,which is derived out of the Greek term, khalkdn, meaning a mystical stone (Revelation 21:19). Both expressions are thought to have originated from the Phoenician word hadiic kapr, meaning “new town”.

Chalcedony is a quartz stone which has a waxy luster and may be translucent or semi-transparent. It is though to get its name from the ancient Greek town of Chalecdon. This

Red Chalcedony Quartz

mineral can assume a wide range of colors, including white, pale-blue, gray, brown or black. It can also be found in a lovely variegated deep orange-red color, hence, the naming of  the Euphydrayas chalcedona butterfly.

To learn more about the Latin names of butterflies… click the scholarly image below…