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 73 - 96 of 627 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 25, 2022
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 22, 2022
Observation date: Apr 25, 2022
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 22, 2022
Observation date: Aug 15, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 17, 2022
Observation date: Aug 15, 2022
Submitted by: bobscafe
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 17, 2022
Observation date: Aug 14, 2022
Submitted by: Cheri Phillips
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 15, 2022
Observation date: Aug 19, 2016
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Burke County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 13, 2022
Observation date: Oct 14, 2021
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Georgia, Treutlen County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 05, 2022
Observation date: Dec 05, 2016
Submitted by: bobscafe
Region: Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 01, 2022
Observation date: Dec 05, 2016
Submitted by: bobscafe
Region: Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 01, 2022
Observation date: Jan 18, 2022
Submitted by: dbryant562
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 08, 2022
Observation date: Feb 04, 2022
Submitted by: Joceb2005
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 08, 2022
Observation date: Oct 09, 2021
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Baldwin County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Feb 20, 2022
Observation date: Aug 16, 2020
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Feb 13, 2022
Observation date: Dec 28, 2012
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Jan 25, 2022
Observation date: Jan 17, 2022
Submitted by: johnsora
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 23, 2022
Observation date: Nov 26, 2021
Submitted by: rarluck@gmail.com
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 27, 2021
Observation date: Oct 18, 2021
Submitted by: Jonathan Clark
Region: Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 29, 2021
Observation date: Oct 12, 2021
Submitted by: JamieLynn
Region: Richmond County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Oct 17, 2021
Observation date: Oct 03, 2021
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 17, 2021
Observation date: Apr 15, 2019
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Chatham County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Oct 09, 2021
Observation date: Sep 24, 2021
Submitted by: kellyjocarv
Region: Alachua County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 29, 2021
Observation date: Aug 20, 2021
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Georgia, Screven County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 21, 2021
Observation date: Sep 07, 2021
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 09, 2021
Observation date: Aug 29, 2021
Submitted by: D Grimes
Region: Hernando County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 09, 2021
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