White Checkered-Skipper
Burnsius 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.
Taxonomy Notes: Formerly in the genus Pyrgus.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Pyrgus albescens
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 523 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 10, 2023
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 26, 2023
Observation date: Apr 10, 2023
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 25, 2023
Observation date: Apr 09, 2023
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 25, 2023
Observation date: Apr 29, 2023
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 07, 2023
Observation date: Apr 15, 2023
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 22, 2023
Observation date: Feb 10, 2023
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 16, 2023
Observation date: Nov 28, 2022
Submitted by: Pkleinsasser
Region: St. Johns County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 01, 2022
Observation date: Nov 19, 2022
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 22, 2022
Observation date: Nov 16, 2022
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 18, 2022
Observation date: Oct 27, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 01, 2022
Observation date: Sep 17, 2022
Submitted by: PONYRCR
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 11, 2022
Observation date: Sep 14, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
Observation date: Aug 06, 2022
Submitted by: radek_smolec
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 21, 2022
Observation date: Aug 15, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 17, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 1985
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Tulare County, California, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 16, 2022
Observation date: Aug 04, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 06, 2022
Observation date: Aug 01, 2022
Submitted by: karlkrause
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 01, 2022
Observation date: Dec 06, 2016
Submitted by: bobscafe
Region: Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jul 30, 2022
Observation date: Jul 17, 2022
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 17, 2022
Observation date: Jul 14, 2022
Submitted by: Jonathan Coffin
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 15, 2022
Observation date: Jul 13, 2022
Submitted by: Winston22
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 15, 2022
Observation date: Jul 14, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 15, 2022
Observation date: Jun 13, 2022
Submitted by: Brian Ahern
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 14, 2022
Observation date: Jun 13, 2022
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 14, 2022
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