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
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 73 - 96 of 372 verified sightings
Observation date: May 29, 2018
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 05, 2018
Observation date: Jun 26, 2018
Submitted by: dsperanza
Region: Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Jul 01, 2018
Observation date: May 21, 2018
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 25, 2018
Observation date: May 21, 2018
Submitted by: RichHubie
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 24, 2018
Observation date: May 05, 2018
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Thurston County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 14, 2018
Observation date: May 01, 2018
Submitted by: TomPeterson
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 03, 2018
Observation date: Apr 19, 2018
Submitted by: RichHubie
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 22, 2018
Observation date: Apr 13, 2018
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 13, 2018
Observation date: Apr 18, 2016
Submitted by: mja
Region: Skagit County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Oct 18, 2017
Observation date: May 30, 2016
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Stevens County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Sep 26, 2017
Observation date: Jun 04, 2017
Submitted by: duff
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 26, 2017
Observation date: Jun 11, 2017
Submitted by: Sue Orlowski
Region: Pend Oreille County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 12, 2017
Observation date: May 28, 2017
Submitted by: Chris Carvalho
Region: Klickitat County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 31, 2017
Observation date: May 10, 2017
Submitted by: Sue Orlowski
Region: Pend Oreille County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 25, 2017
Observation date: Apr 15, 2017
Submitted by: RichHubie
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 16, 2017
Observation date: Jun 22, 2016
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Sierra County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 25, 2016
Observation date: Jun 23, 2016
Submitted by: Bdog
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 26, 2016
Observation date: Jun 23, 2016
Submitted by: Bdog
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 26, 2016
Observation date: Mar 31, 2016
Submitted by: RichHubie
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 11, 2016
Observation date: Apr 13, 2016
Submitted by: RichHubie
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 11, 2016
Observation date: May 25, 2016
Submitted by: bobscafe
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Jun 01, 2016
Observation date: May 03, 2016
Submitted by: Sue Orlowski
Region: Spokane County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 19, 2016
Observation date: Jun 08, 2015
Submitted by: gjyanicki
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Apr 25, 2016
Observation date: Mar 19, 2015
Submitted by: Elva Paulson
Region: Coos County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 18, 2016
- ‹ previous
- 4 of 16
- next ›