Tropical Checkered-Skipper
Burnsius 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.
Taxonomy Notes: Formerly in the genus Pyrgus.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Pyrgus oileus
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 598 verified sightings
Observation date: Mar 20, 2023
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Mar 20, 2023
Observation date: Nov 28, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Nov 21, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Nov 13, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Nov 13, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Dec 03, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Feb 24, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sinaloa, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Nov 21, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Nov 19, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Nov 19, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Nov 19, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Aug 29, 2019
Submitted by: Markus M
Region: Jalisco, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 26, 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: Dec 28, 2022
Submitted by: Rosa Ruperto
Region: Quintana Roo, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jan 30, 2023
Observation date: Oct 25, 2022
Submitted by: tonzetich
Region: St. Lucia
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 27, 2023
Observation date: Jan 09, 2023
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jan 17, 2023
Observation date: Jan 03, 2023
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 09, 2023
Observation date: Jan 03, 2023
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jan 04, 2023
Observation date: Jan 28, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
Observation date: Mar 27, 2022
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 03, 2022
Observation date: Nov 26, 2022
Submitted by: Pkleinsasser
Region: St. Johns County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 26, 2022
Observation date: Aug 12, 2022
Submitted by: Rosa Ruperto
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Nov 13, 2022
Observation date: Oct 28, 2022
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 31, 2022
Observation date: Jul 18, 2009
Submitted by: sobrien
Region: Darién Province, Panama
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 26, 2022
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