Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Northern White-Skipper
Heliopetes ericetorum (Boisduval, 1852)


Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Upperside of male is white with narrow black chevrons at the outer margins of wings; female has thicker, darker markings and black at the wing bases. Underside of both sexes is white with pale tan markings.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 inches (3.2 - 3.8 cm).
Life History: To find females, males patrol in canyon bottoms. Females deposit eggs singly on young leaves of the host plants. Caterpillars feed on leaves and live in shelters of rolled or tied leaves.
Flight: Several broods from April-October.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various mallows including globemallows (Sphaeralcea), hollyhock (Althaea), and mallow (Malva).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Open woodland, chaparral, dry washes, desert mountains, arid land.
Range: Eastern Washington south to western Colorado, southern California, Arizona, Baja California, and northwest Mexico.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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