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 97 - 120 of 566 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 29, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 30, 2021
Observation date: May 27, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 29, 2021
Observation date: May 15, 2021
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 20, 2021
Observation date: May 15, 2021
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 20, 2021
Observation date: Nov 26, 2011
Submitted by: DVL
Region: Lee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 17, 2021
Observation date: Apr 01, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 03, 2021
Observation date: Mar 19, 2021
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Lee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 24, 2021
Observation date: Mar 13, 2021
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 17, 2021
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: cklindsey
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 24, 2020
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 25, 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 15, 2020
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Georgetown County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 23, 2020
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