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 528 verified sightings
Observation date: Mar 11, 2020
Submitted by: Kari
Region: Brazoria County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 22, 2020
Observation date: Nov 07, 2020
Submitted by: jnchandler
Region: Richmond County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Nov 16, 2020
Observation date: Oct 23, 2020
Submitted by: ReggieGal
Region: Jasper County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 09, 2020
Observation date: Nov 04, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 04, 2020
Observation date: Oct 27, 2020
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Nov 02, 2020
Observation date: Oct 20, 2020
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 23, 2020
Observation date: Oct 20, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 20, 2020
Observation date: Oct 11, 2020
Submitted by: Jonathan Clark
Region: La Salle Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 17, 2020
Observation date: Oct 03, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 04, 2020
Observation date: Sep 26, 2020
Submitted by: mcframpus
Region: Dorchester County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 03, 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 14, 2020
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 17, 2020
Observation date: Sep 12, 2020
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Candler County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 16, 2020
Observation date: Sep 06, 2020
Submitted by: jthompson6112
Region: Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 10, 2020
Observation date: Aug 25, 2020
Submitted by: Mike_56
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 06, 2020
Observation date: Mar 22, 2020
Submitted by: theaquaholic
Region: Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 03, 2020
Observation date: Jul 20, 2020
Submitted by: Jonathan Clark
Region: Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 01, 2020
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: La Salle Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 01, 2020
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 17, 2020
Submitted by: Jonathan Clark
Region: Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 29, 2020
Submitted by: Scott Fisher
Region: Levy County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 29, 2020
Observation date: Aug 26, 2020
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 28, 2020
Observation date: Aug 17, 2020
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Chatham County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 24, 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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