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 289 - 312 of 575 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 24, 1993
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard W. Holland & S.J. Cary)
Region: Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Sep 23, 2008
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Robert M. Pyle)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Jun 25, 1995
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard Holland, Steve Cary, ESC)
Region: Luna County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Jun 22, 1969
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J.R. Heitzman)
Region: Cameron County, Texas, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Oct 30, 2008
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Robert M. Pyle)
Region: Texas, Kleberg County, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Sep 15, 1994
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard W. Holland)
Region: Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Jun 12, 1988
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard W. Holland)
Region: Sierra County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Jun 10, 1981
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (JMJ)
Region: Washington County, Utah, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Sep 25, 1993
Submitted by: stevecary (Steve J. Cary)
Region: Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Jul 01, 2005
Submitted by: paulopler (Paul A. Opler)
Region: Esmeralda County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Jul 26, 1986
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard W. Holland & S.J. Cary)
Region: Eddy County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: May 19, 1978
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard W. Holland)
Region: San Juan County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Oct 24, 1984
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (T. Krall)
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Jun 14, 1969
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J.R. Heitzman)
Region: Texas, San Patricio County, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Sep 25, 1993
Submitted by: stevecary (Steve J. Cary)
Region: Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Aug 05, 1986
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Ray E. Stanford)
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Oct 17, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (N. Bloomfield)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Sep 13, 1970
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard Holland)
Region: Baja California Sur, Mexico
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Oct 21, 2004
Submitted by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Region: Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Jun 30, 1994
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard W. Holland)
Region: Catron County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Oct 21, 2008
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Sep 20, 2008
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Aug 31, 2009
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
Observation date: Apr 04, 1994
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard W. Holland)
Region: Chihuahua, Mexico
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 04, 2010
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