Species Pyrgus communis - Common Checkered-Skipper

Cuadrícula Común

Wingspan 2.5-3.8 cm

Adult: usually darker than White Checkered-Skipper, and male often has partial black checks in wing fringes (rather than complete, as in P. albescens) - 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 or olive bands. Spots of hindwing marginal row very small; spots of submarginal row larger.

Much of North America, south of northern forests; absent from southern California and southern Texas, according to the map on this page.

According to a comment by Randy Emmitt here, the White Checkered-Skipper may be replacing the Common Checkered-Skipper in the southeastern states.

Fields, edges.

Adults fly June-October in north (two broods), and all year in subtropical areas.

Larvae feed on mallows (Malvaceae), including Althea, Abutilon, Malva.

Adults take nectar.

Where the ranges overlap (i.e. central California, southern Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and the southeastern states), White 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 lense).

Tropical Checkered-Skipper has a more southern distribution (Florida, Gulf Coast, and southern Arizona only)

Brock, pp. 288-289 (1)

Glassberg, p. 161, plate 53 (2)

Scott, #665, pp. 495-496 (3)

Allen, p. 206, plates 26, 41, 49 (4)

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