Attributes of Pyrgus ruralis
Two-banded Checkered-Skipper
Pyrgus ruralis (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Upperside is light-to-blackish brown; forewing has squarish white spots; hindwing usually has 2 rows of white spots. Underside is brown or gray with dull spots that are often obscure. Male has a costal fold enclosing scent scales on the forewing.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/8 inches (2.5 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: To find receptive females, males patrol and sometimes perch close to the ground in valley bottoms or swales. Females lay eggs singly on the host plant. Caterpillars make a webbed leaf nest in which they live and feed.
Flight: One brood from April-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: Herbaceous plants in the rose family (Rosaceae) including Drummond's potentilla (Potentilla drummondii), dusky horkelia (Horkelia fusca), Santa Rosa horkelia (H. tenuiloba), Cleveland's horkelia (H. bolanderi clevelandii), and probably others.
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Forest clearings, meadows, pastures, streamsides; from sea level to 10,000 feet.
Range: Inconspicuous, usually local and uncommon. South in the mountains from British Columbia and Alberta to southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Conservation: The Laguna Mountains skipper (subspecies lagunae) is on the Endangered Species list and needs careful study of its conservation needs.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Habitat of the Laguna Mountains skipper requires periodic disturbance such as light grazing and small controlled burns.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Pyrgus ruralis
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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 400 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.
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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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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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May 02, 2013 | PDunwiddie | Thurston County, Washington, United States | May 04, 2013 | Details |
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April 28, 2013 | plex1ppus | Pend Oreille County, Washington, United States | April 30, 2013 | Details |
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April 23, 2013 | albicaulis | Clallam County, Washington, United States | April 24, 2013 | Details |
| January 01, 1984 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Carson City County, Nevada, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| June 26, 2012 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | Mono County, California, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
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July 12, 2008 | RaisingButterflies.org | Davis County, Utah, United States | November 28, 2011 | Details |
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May 30, 2011 | James F. Snyder | San Diego County, California, United States | June 05, 2011 | Details |
| May 18, 2011 | davidwdroppers | Chelan County, Washington, United States | May 24, 2011 | Details | |
| December 03, 2005 | legacy.reporter (Ray Collett) | Santa Cruz County, California, United States | December 31, 2010 | Details | |
| June 20, 1988 | legacy.reporter (G. T. Austin, K. Hansen) | Humboldt County, California, United States | August 02, 2010 | Details | |
| May 02, 1981 | legacy.reporter (R. Busby, R. Langston & D. Parkinson) | Lake County, California, United States | March 09, 2010 | Details | |
| May 10, 1990 | legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro) | Siskiyou County, California, United States | January 25, 2010 | Details | |
| June 12, 1985 | legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro) | Siskiyou County, California, United States | January 25, 2010 | Details | |
| June 22, 1986 | legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro) | Siskiyou County, California, United States | January 25, 2010 | Details | |
| June 18, 1988 | legacy.reporter (Laurence Crabtree) | Shasta County, California, United States | January 25, 2010 | Details | |
| June 10, 1989 | legacy.reporter (Laurence Crabtree) | Tehama County, California, United States | January 25, 2010 | Details | |
| May 05, 1956 | legacy.reporter (Fred T. Thorne) | San Diego County, California, United States | January 07, 2010 | Details | |
| May 05, 1957 | legacy.reporter (Fred T. Thorne) | San Diego County, California, United States | January 07, 2010 | Details | |
| May 09, 1958 | legacy.reporter (Fred T. Thorne) | San Diego County, California, United States | January 07, 2010 | Details | |
| June 05, 1955 | legacy.reporter (Oscar Sette) | San Diego County, California, United States | January 07, 2010 | Details | |
| April 30, 1966 | legacy.reporter (Oakley Shields) | San Diego County, California, United States | January 07, 2010 | Details | |
| May 25, 1958 | legacy.reporter (Oakley Shields) | San Diego County, California, United States | January 07, 2010 | Details | |
| June 23, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Jeffery Glassberg) | Humboldt County, California, United States | January 07, 2010 | Details | |
| June 22, 1997 | legacy.reporter (Jeffrey Glassberg) | San Mateo County, California, United States | January 07, 2010 | Details | |
| June 17, 1960 | legacy.reporter (Tom & John Emmel) | Placer County, California, United States | January 05, 2010 | Details | |
| July 11, 1960 | legacy.reporter (Tom & John Emmel) | Placer County, California, United States | January 05, 2010 | Details | |
| June 22, 1997 | legacy.reporter (Jeffrey Glassberg) | San Mateo County, California, United States | January 05, 2010 | Details | |
| June 23, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Jeffrey Glassberg) | Humboldt County, California, United States | January 05, 2010 | Details | |
| March 10, 1934 | legacy.reporter (Homer Edgecomb) | San Luis Obispo County, California, United States | January 04, 2010 | Details | |
| July 15, 1933 | legacy.reporter (John S. Garth) | Mariposa County, California, United States | October 19, 2009 | Details | |
| July 10, 1956 | legacy.reporter (John S. Garth) | Mariposa County, California, United States | October 19, 2009 | Details | |
| July 03, 1954 | legacy.reporter (J. W. Tilden) | Mariposa County, California, United States | October 19, 2009 | Details | |
| July 11, 1958 | legacy.reporter (Oakley Shields) | Mariposa County, California, United States | October 19, 2009 | Details | |
| August 07, 1958 | legacy.reporter (Oakley Shields) | Madera County, California, United States | October 19, 2009 | Details | |
| May 28, 1955 | legacy.reporter (J. W. Tilden) | Santa Cruz County, California, United States | October 16, 2009 | Details | |
| July 10, 2009 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | Mono County, California, United States | August 10, 2009 | Details | |
| July 11, 2009 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | Mono County, California, United States | August 10, 2009 | Details | |
| May 05, 1956 | legacy.reporter (Fred Thorne) | San Diego County, California, United States | August 10, 2009 | Details | |
| March 24, 1997 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | Monterey County, California, United States | June 26, 2009 | Details | |
| May 23, 2007 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | Mariposa County, California, United States | June 26, 2009 | Details | |
| May 30, 2007 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | Madera County, California, United States | June 26, 2009 | Details | |
| June 14, 2009 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | Madera County, California, United States | June 19, 2009 | Details | |
| July 03, 1954 | legacy.reporter (J. W. Tilden) | Fresno County, California, United States | June 19, 2009 | Details | |
| May 27, 2002 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | Fresno County, California, United States | June 19, 2009 | Details | |
| June 15, 1984 | paulopler (Paul Opler) | Madera County, California, United States | June 19, 2009 | Details | |
| May 28, 2002 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | Madera County, California, United States | June 19, 2009 | Details | |
| May 24, 1991 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | Madera County, California, United States | June 19, 2009 | Details | |
| June 13, 2002 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | Madera County, California, United States | June 19, 2009 | Details | |
| April 23, 1966 | ray.stanford@stanfordalumni.org (Ray Stanford & J. Lane) | Mariposa County, California, United States | June 19, 2009 | Details | |
| June 25, 1976 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | Mono County, California, United States | June 19, 2009 | Details |
