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 459 verified sightings
Observation date: Feb 12, 2021
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe (Dennis Allen)
Region: Georgetown County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Feb 26, 2021
Observation date: Mar 23, 2019
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Hampton County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Feb 14, 2021
Observation date: May 08, 2015
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 22, 2021
Observation date: Dec 09, 2020
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 21, 2020
Observation date: Nov 24, 2020
Submitted by: Shearwater13
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 30, 2020
Observation date: Oct 27, 2020
Submitted by: Englishman
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 28, 2020
Observation date: Oct 22, 2020
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 23, 2020
Observation date: Oct 14, 2020
Submitted by: Englishman
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 15, 2020
Observation date: Oct 10, 2020
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 10, 2020
Observation date: Sep 09, 2020
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 28, 2020
Observation date: Sep 20, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 20, 2020
Observation date: Sep 18, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 18, 2020
Observation date: Sep 18, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 18, 2020
Observation date: Sep 14, 2020
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 17, 2020
Observation date: Aug 21, 2020
Submitted by: tiorickbutterfly
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 22, 2020
Observation date: Aug 08, 2020
Submitted by: Diane R Halpin
Region: Marion County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 10, 2020
Observation date: Jul 22, 2020
Submitted by: 4wildlife
Region: Lee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 22, 2020
Observation date: Jun 24, 2020
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Allendale County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 27, 2020
Observation date: Jun 13, 2020
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Calhoun County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 18, 2020
Observation date: Jun 13, 2020
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Calhoun County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 17, 2020
Observation date: Jun 10, 2020
Submitted by: violaaims
Region: Alameda County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 10, 2020
Observation date: Jun 07, 2020
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 09, 2020
Observation date: Jun 01, 2020
Submitted by: cfabian
Region: Escambia County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 01, 2020
Observation date: May 29, 2020
Submitted by: cfabian
Region: Escambia County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 29, 2020
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