Attributes of Pyrgus communis
Common Checkered-Skipper
Pyrgus communis (Grote, 1872)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Upperside of male is blue-gray; female is black. Both sexes have large white spots which form median bands across both wings. Fringes of male checkered but black checks often reach only halfway to edge of fringe. Male has a costal fold enclosing scent scales on the upperside of the forewing. Underside is dull white with dark gray or olive bands. Spots of the hindwing marginal row are very small; spots of the submarginal row are larger. This species is separated from the white checkered skipper with confidence only by dissection and examination of the male genitalia.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/2 inches (2.5 - 3.8 cm).
Life History: Males patrol in swales most actively in the afternoon, and mating takes place then. Females lay eggs singly on leaf buds and tops of leaves. Adults roost exposed on a tall plant beginning in late afternoon. Caterpillars make folded-leaf nests in which they live and feed, and fully-grown caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: February-October in the Deep South, March-September in the north.
Caterpillar Hosts: Several plants in the mallow family (Malvaceae) including globemallows (Sphaeralcea), mallow (Malva), hollyhock (Althaea), alkali mallows (Sida), velvet-leaf (Abutilon), and poppy mallow (Callirhoe).
Adult Food: Nectar from white-flowered composites including shepherd\'s needles, fleabane, and asters; also red clover, knapweed, beggar\'s ticks, and many others.
Habitat: Open, sunny places with low vegetation and some bare soil including prairies, meadows, fields, roadsides, landfills, yards, gardens, pastures, openings and trails in woods.
Range: Most of the temperate United States south to Gulf coast, w. Texas, se. Arizona, southern California, and mountains of northern Mexico. Colonizes as far north as central Alberta, southern Ontario, and southern New England. It cannot survive very cold winters and may not be a permanent resident north of the 40th parallel.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Pyrgus communis
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The map below displays all verified sighting records in the BAMONA database for this species. Each record is indicated with a yellow dot. The orange dots on the map provide access to information about the 200 most recently verified sightings of this species. In some instances, there are several records at the same location. Use the table view to access these records.
Instructions: Click on the map and move your mouse to pan.
Zoom by using the plus [+] and minus [-] on the left side of the map.
To change which map layers are displayed, click on the plus sign [+] on the right side of the map.
The fifty most recently verified sightings are below. See more recently verified sightings of all species.
| Observation Date | Submitter | Region |
Verified Date |
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May 06, 2012 | Americus Garden Inn | Georgia, Sumter County, United States | May 15, 2012 | Details |
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May 03, 2012 | marquy | Wayne County, Michigan, United States | May 15, 2012 | Details |
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August 28, 2010 | Chip Krilowicz | New Castle County, Delaware, United States | April 25, 2012 | Details |
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April 19, 2012 | jkopachena | Hunt County, Texas, United States | April 22, 2012 | Details |
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August 01, 2010 | wrygrass | Spokane County, Washington, United States | April 16, 2012 | Details |
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April 11, 2012 | jdupton | Texas, United States, Williamson County | April 13, 2012 | Details |
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April 13, 2012 | lpessetto | Dallas County, Texas, United States | April 13, 2012 | Details |
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April 08, 2012 | chozebah | Dent County, Missouri, United States | April 09, 2012 | Details |
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March 18, 2012 | ozero | Texas, Medina County, United States | April 03, 2012 | Details |
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July 21, 2011 | Shane Patterson | Tama County, Iowa, United States | March 26, 2012 | Details |
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August 25, 2010 | Chip Krilowicz | Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States | March 24, 2012 | Details |
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July 11, 2011 | pcastrovillo | Valley County, Idaho, United States | March 19, 2012 | Details |
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September 24, 2011 | Karen Adams | Franklin County, Ohio, United States | January 24, 2012 | Details |
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October 08, 2011 | Karen Adams | Franklin County, Ohio, United States | January 24, 2012 | Details |
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September 11, 2011 | CNoll | Richmond City County, Virginia, United States | December 24, 2011 | Details |
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October 23, 2011 | Nancy Weiss | Nelson County, Virginia, United States | December 24, 2011 | Details |
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April 24, 2011 | SamuelMillar153 | Prince William County, Virginia, United States | December 24, 2011 | Details |
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September 22, 2011 | jim8435wisc | Park County, Montana, United States | December 08, 2011 | Details |
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October 06, 2007 | RaisingButterflies.org | Salt Lake County, Utah, United States | November 28, 2011 | Details |
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August 21, 2011 | J_Martineau | Big Horn County, Wyoming, United States | November 27, 2011 | Details |
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October 15, 2011 | mebauer | Marion County, Indiana, United States | November 05, 2011 | Details |
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August 25, 2011 | marquy | Wayne County, Michigan, United States | October 17, 2011 | Details |
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September 04, 2011 | marquy | Wayne County, Michigan, United States | October 17, 2011 | Details |
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October 10, 2011 | Randy L Anderson | Henderson County, Illinois, United States | October 11, 2011 | Details |
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September 13, 2011 | Becky Byrum | Delaware County, Indiana, United States | October 02, 2011 | Details |
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September 23, 2011 | mdolomieu1 | Greene County, Missouri, United States | September 29, 2011 | Details |
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September 18, 2011 | mudgrub12 | Placer County, California, United States | September 20, 2011 | Details |
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September 10, 2011 | fitzclarke@bellsouth.net | Chatham County, Georgia, United States | September 12, 2011 | Details |
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September 05, 2011 | mdolomieu1 | Greene County, Missouri, United States | September 10, 2011 | Details |
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August 19, 2011 | menasian | Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States | August 26, 2011 | Details |
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August 20, 2011 | CNoll | New Kent County, Virginia, United States | August 23, 2011 | Details |
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August 20, 2011 | Howell Curtis | Madison County, Indiana, United States | August 21, 2011 | Details |
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August 10, 2011 | cpcdolan | Archuleta County, Colorado, United States | August 18, 2011 | Details |
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August 08, 2011 | Michux | Kent County, Delaware, United States | August 11, 2011 | Details |
| April 09, 2011 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Shelby County, Alabama, United States | May 31, 2011 | Details | |
| April 10, 2011 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Colbert County, Alabama, United States | May 31, 2011 | Details | |
| April 17, 2011 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Jefferson County, Alabama, United States | May 31, 2011 | Details | |
| May 07, 2011 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Jefferson County, Alabama, United States | May 31, 2011 | Details | |
| June 14, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Swales, John) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 19, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Essenmacher, Monica) | Huron County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 21, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Van Oeveren, Carol) | Kent County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| August 01, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Van Oeveren, Carol) | Kent County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 01, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Van Oeveren, Carol) | Kent County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| October 01, 1996 | legacy.reporter (Van Oeveren, Carol) | Kent County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| May 25, 1998 | legacy.reporter (Fleming, Richard) | Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 18, 1998 | legacy.reporter (Schipper, Russ, Steve Allen) | Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| August 25, 1998 | legacy.reporter (Fleming, Richard) | Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| October 11, 1998 | legacy.reporter (Granland, Jim, Russ Schipper) | Allegan County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| October 24, 1998 | legacy.reporter (Reinoehl,Jack) | Allegan County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| October 30, 1998 | legacy.reporter (Schipper, Russ) | Allegan County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details |
