Tropical Checkered-Skipper
Pyrgus oileus (Linnaeus, 1767)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Upperside is dark brown with pale markings; male forewing has a mat of long blue-gray hairs; hindwing of both sexes has marginal and submarginal bands made up of equal-sized spots. Underside of hindwing is pale, often with a strong brown overlay; not much contrast between bands and ground color.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 inches (3.2 - 3.8 cm).
Life History: Males perch and patrol for receptive females. Eggs are laid singly on the uppersides of host plant leaves. Caterpillars feed and live in the shelter of a webbed leaf.
Flight: Four to five broods throughout the year in South Texas and Florida.
Caterpillar Hosts: Several plants in the mallow family (Malvaceae) including axocatzin (Sida rhombifolia), mallow (Malva), hollyhock (Althaea rosea), velvet-leaf (Abutilon), and malva loca (Malvastrum).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of Sidas and small-flowered composites such as shepherd's needles.
Habitat: Open, sunny areas including pastures, brushy fields, wooded trails, thorn-scrub, and roadsides.
Range: Peninsular Florida, the Gulf Coast, and South Texas south through the West Indies, Mexico, and Central America to Argentina.
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 436 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 14, 2015
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 08, 2019
Observation date: Oct 21, 2018
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Harris County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 13, 2018
Observation date: Nov 30, 2018
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 30, 2018
Observation date: Nov 06, 2018
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 26, 2018
Observation date: Nov 04, 2018
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 21, 2018
Observation date: Nov 07, 2018
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 21, 2018
Observation date: Sep 21, 2018
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 13, 2018
Observation date: Sep 19, 2018
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 13, 2018
Observation date: Sep 03, 2018
Submitted by: loyallonghorn
Region: Harris County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 03, 2018
Observation date: Sep 01, 2018
Submitted by: misspt
Region: George County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 02, 2018
Observation date: Aug 01, 2018
Submitted by: MothLady41
Region: DeSoto County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 14, 2018
Observation date: Mar 02, 2018
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 23, 2018
Observation date: Mar 06, 2018
Submitted by: John429
Region: Lee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 23, 2018
Observation date: Mar 03, 2018
Submitted by: ftn9549b
Region: Fort Bend County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 15, 2018
Observation date: Nov 30, 2017
Submitted by: EleanorR
Region: Suwannee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 24, 2018
Observation date: Jul 03, 2013
Submitted by: JimConrad
Region: Texas, United States, Uvalde County
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 18, 2018
Observation date: Mar 28, 2017
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Lee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 11, 2017
Observation date: Nov 16, 2017
Submitted by: Bigshow9386
Region: Grimes County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 17, 2017
Observation date: Nov 12, 2017
Submitted by: EleanorR
Region: Suwannee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 12, 2017
Observation date: Oct 29, 2017
Submitted by: rseidler
Region: Cameron Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 12, 2017
Observation date: Oct 28, 2017
Submitted by: gpstewart
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 05, 2017
Observation date: Oct 26, 2017
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Cameron Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: Jeff Trahan
Verified date: Nov 03, 2017
Observation date: Oct 10, 2014
Submitted by: cericketts
Region: Gulf County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 02, 2017
Observation date: Sep 26, 2016
Submitted by: ftn9549b
Region: Harris County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 30, 2017
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