Two-banded Checkered-Skipper
Pyrgus ruralis (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Upperside is light-to-blackish brown; forewing has squarish white spots; hindwing usually has 2 rows of white spots. Underside is brown or gray with dull spots that are often obscure. Male has a costal fold enclosing scent scales on the forewing.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/8 inches (2.5 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: To find receptive females, males patrol and sometimes perch close to the ground in valley bottoms or swales. Females lay eggs singly on the host plant. Caterpillars make a webbed leaf nest in which they live and feed.
Flight: One brood from April-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: Herbaceous plants in the rose family (Rosaceae) including Drummond's potentilla (Potentilla drummondii), dusky horkelia (Horkelia fusca), Santa Rosa horkelia (H. tenuiloba), Cleveland's horkelia (H. bolanderi clevelandii), and probably others.
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Forest clearings, meadows, pastures, streamsides; from sea level to 10,000 feet.
Range: Inconspicuous, usually local and uncommon. South in the mountains from British Columbia and Alberta to southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Conservation: The Laguna Mountains skipper (subspecies lagunae) is on the Endangered Species list and needs careful study of its conservation needs.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Habitat of the Laguna Mountains skipper requires periodic disturbance such as light grazing and small controlled burns.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 369 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 29, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Jefferson County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 03, 2022
Observation date: Apr 22, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Apr 27, 2022
Observation date: Apr 06, 2022
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Apr 07, 2022
Observation date: Apr 07, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Apr 07, 2022
Observation date: Mar 20, 2022
Submitted by: RichHubie
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 22, 2022
Observation date: Aug 03, 2017
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 16, 2021
Observation date: May 15, 2019
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Oct 26, 2021
Observation date: Jun 15, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Jackson County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 19, 2021
Observation date: Jun 05, 2021
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 20, 2021
Observation date: Jun 02, 2019
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Sep 11, 2021
Observation date: May 10, 2019
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 31, 2021
Observation date: Jun 08, 2018
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Tulare County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 21, 2021
Observation date: Jul 21, 2021
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 27, 2021
Observation date: Jun 08, 2021
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Routt County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 23, 2021
Observation date: May 31, 2021
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 25, 2021
Observation date: May 29, 2021
Submitted by: NBBAM
Region: Cowlitz County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 09, 2021
Observation date: Jun 01, 2021
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 04, 2021
Observation date: May 02, 2021
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 21, 2021
Observation date: Apr 12, 2021
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Apr 13, 2021
Observation date: Jun 30, 2020
Submitted by: Pam Piombino
Region: Colorado, United States
Verified by: azukoff
Verified date: Nov 23, 2020
Observation date: May 29, 2020
Submitted by: Dwaine Wagoner
Region: Natrona County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 01, 2020
Observation date: May 07, 2020
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Thurston County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 09, 2020
Observation date: May 01, 2020
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 02, 2020
Observation date: Apr 08, 2020
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Apr 08, 2020
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