White Checkered-Skipper
Pyrgus albescens Plötz, 1884
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Paler than Pyrgus communis. Male often has complete black checks in wing fringes. Upperside of male is blue-gray; female is black. Both sexes have large white spots which form median bands across both wings. Male has a costal fold enclosing scent scales on the upperside of the forewing. Underside is dull white with dark gray bands. Positive identification can be made only by dissection and scrutiny of the male genitalia.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/2 inches (2.5 - 3.8 cm).
Life History: Similar to that of Common Checkered-skipper.
Flight: All year in South Texas, most of the year elsewhere.
Caterpillar Hosts: Not reliably reported. Probably several plants in the mallow family (Malvaceae) including globemallows (Sphaeralcea), velvet-leaf (Abutilon), and poppy mallow (Callirhoe).
Adult Food: Nectar from a variety of plants.
Habitat: Open, sunny places with low vegetation and some bare soil including prairies, fields, roadsides, yards, gardens, and low deserts.
Range: Low altitudes in southern California, southern Arizona, southern New Mexico, west and South Texas; Florida, and Mexico. A rare stray to southwest Utah, and central Texas.
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.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 337 verified sightings
Observation date: May 21, 2017
Submitted by: PONYRCR
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 04, 2017
Observation date: Apr 23, 2017
Submitted by: H Hooper
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 03, 2017
Observation date: Mar 02, 2017
Submitted by: AJVanh.arch
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 09, 2017
Observation date: Nov 10, 2016
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 18, 2017
Observation date: Nov 10, 2016
Submitted by: the janitors kid
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 10, 2016
Observation date: Sep 14, 2016
Submitted by: geraldswegner
Region: Indian River County, Florida, United States
Verified by: geraldswegner
Verified date: Sep 23, 2016
Observation date: Aug 15, 2016
Submitted by: wildman
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 15, 2016
Observation date: Jul 28, 2016
Submitted by: Bdog
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 03, 2016
Observation date: Jul 28, 2016
Submitted by: Bdog
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 03, 2016
Observation date: Jun 04, 2013
Submitted by: Loret_in_Florida
Region: Osceola County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 15, 2016
Observation date: Jul 05, 2016
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 06, 2016
Observation date: Jun 23, 2016
Submitted by: Bdog
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 25, 2016
Observation date: Jun 04, 2016
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Orange County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 09, 2016
Observation date: Mar 18, 2016
Submitted by: PONYRCR
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 22, 2016
Observation date: Mar 08, 2016
Submitted by: KittKatt
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 16, 2016
Observation date: Feb 26, 2016
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 28, 2016
Observation date: Oct 16, 2015
Submitted by: Nancy Hamlett
Region: Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 20, 2015
Observation date: Oct 07, 2015
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 12, 2015
Observation date: Oct 11, 2015
Submitted by: PONYRCR
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 12, 2015
Observation date: Jul 08, 2014
Submitted by: JeanEvoy
Region: DeSoto County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 29, 2015
Observation date: Aug 08, 2015
Submitted by: PONYRCR
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 09, 2015
Observation date: Jun 24, 2015
Submitted by: PopularOutcast
Region: Alachua County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 28, 2015
Observation date: Jun 03, 2015
Submitted by: jcblithe
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 04, 2015
Observation date: Feb 03, 2015
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 05, 2015
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