Species Pyrgus albescens - White Checkered-Skipper

Adult: usually paler than Common Checkered-Skipper, and male often has complete black checks in wing fringes (rather than partial, as in P. communis) - but read See Also section below. Upperside of male bluish-gray; female black. Both sexes have large white spots which form median bands across both wings. Male has costal fold enclosing scent scales on upperside of forewing. Underside of both wings dull white with dark gray bands.

southern California and Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and southern Texas; also recorded in Florida and is apparently spreading in the east (see comment by Randy Emmitt here)

occasionally strays to southwestern Utah and central Texas

all year in southern Texas; most of year elsewhere

Larvae are believed to feed on plants in the mallow family, including globe mallows (Sphaeralcea), velvet-leaf (Abutilon), and poppy mallow (Callirhoe).

Where the ranges overlap (i.e. central California, southern Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and the southeastern states), Common Checkered-Skipper female is indistinguishable, and male is positively identifiable only with the specimen in hand (by extending the penis and verifying the species under a lens).

pinned adult images and species account, including distribution map (Butterflies and Skippers of North America, nearctica.com)