Checkered-Skippers (Pyrgus)
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Adaptable to both cold weather and tropical environments, eight Checkered-Skipper species (Pyrgus) call North America home.
With the exception of northern New England, southern Texas and some desert regions in the Southwest, the Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis) represents the genus.
The top picture highlights some basic field identification marks, blue hair on the body, dark wings covered with light to white patterns and pronounced fringing on the wings.
Caterpillars feed on plants in the mallow family.
A similar western species, the Two-banded Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus ruralis) shares some overlapping territory with the Common Checkered-Skipper.
A close examination of the bottom portion of the bottom wings, in the area immediately above the fringe, shows the absence of the small white dots that are present in the Common Checkered-Skipper.
The caterpillars feed on plants in the rose family. Adults nectar on a variety of flowers.
The range of the Tropical Checkered-skipper (Pyrgus oileus), along with the other remaining six Pyrgus species, also follows a geographically based pattern, with the southern portion of the United States accounting for the northern most extent of their range. Southward, their range extends to most of Central and South America.
Like all Checkered-skippers, the dark wings with a light checker pattern serve as the basic field identification clues. The picture also shows a male with the whited out look of the portion of the wings next to the body.
The caterpillars feed on plants in the mallow family.
© 2008-2011 Patricia A. Michaels