Small Checkered-Skipper
Pyrgus scriptura (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Upperside is black-brown; forewing white spots are small; hindwing spots are few and submarginal row may be absent. Underside of forewing repeats upperside markings. Underside of hindwing is pale with barely contrasting markings. Male does not have a costal fold. White hindwing fringe is streaked with black only halfway to the edge of the fringe.
Wing Span: 3/4 - 1 inch (2 - 2.5 cm).
Life History: Males patrol and occasionally perch in swales and gullies in their search for receptive females. Eggs are deposited singly on leaves of the host plant. Caterpillars make a webbed leaf nest in which they live and feed.
Flight: One brood from July-August in the north, several broods from March-November in the southern part of the range.
Caterpillar Hosts: Alkali mallow (Sida hederacea), scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea), and desert globemallow (S. ambigua); all in the mallow family (Malvaceae).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Prairie, open woodland, alkaline marshes and fields.
Range: Montana and eastern Wyoming south through Colorado and New Mexico to Mexico; west through Utah, Nevada, and Arizona to southern California and Baja California Norte.
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
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 97 - 120 of 265 verified sightings
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Stallings & Turner)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (William H. Howe)
Verified date: Dec 17, 2009
Observation date: Aug 27, 1960
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. W. Tilden)
Region: Sacramento County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Oct 16, 2009
Observation date: May 16, 1965
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Oakley Shields)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Emmel & Emmel)
Verified date: Aug 10, 2009
Observation date: Aug 06, 1988
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Imperial County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jun 26, 2009
Observation date: Jun 15, 1965
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: San Joaquin County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jun 19, 2009
Observation date: Jul 15, 1957
Submitted by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Jun 19, 2009
Observation date: Oct 05, 1986
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Imperial County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jun 19, 2009
Observation date: Aug 13, 1981
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jun 19, 2009
Observation date: Feb 27, 1982
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jun 19, 2009
Observation date: Aug 23, 1984
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Tulare County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jun 19, 2009
Observation date: Sep 02, 1980
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jun 19, 2009
Observation date: Aug 22, 1987
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Tulare County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jun 19, 2009
Observation date: Jun 13, 1957
Submitted by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Jun 19, 2009
Observation date: Sep 02, 1980
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jun 19, 2009
Observation date: May 20, 2005
Submitted by: John Saba (John Saba)
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Jun 16, 2000
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Coconino County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Mar 06, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (James P. Brock)
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: May 26, 2005
Submitted by: John Saba (John Saba)
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Apr 15, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Ray E. Stanford)
Region: Gila County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Sep 01, 2004
Submitted by: John Saba (John Saba)
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Aug 21, 2005
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Kilian Roever)
Region: Coconino County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Nov 02, 2005
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Bob Barber)
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Jun 06, 2006
Submitted by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Region: Beaverhead County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Verified date: Jan 23, 2008
Observation date: May 10, 2007
Submitted by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Region: Gallatin County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Verified date: Jan 23, 2008
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