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Santa Barbara Field Guides - Butterflies Lepidoptera Hesperiidae Pyrgus communis Common Checkered-Skipper |
Size:
wingspread 1-1.25 in. Recognition: Variable, uppersides checkered brown-black and white; undersides lighter, with irregular white banding and small white spots; not reliably distinguishable from the White Checkered-Skipper in the field. Flight period: Adults may be seen most of the year in our area. Hostplants: Larvae feed on various mallows (Malvaceae), such as globemallow (Sphaeralcea) and hollyhock (Alcaea). Habitat: Open areas with sparse ground cover and low-growing plants. Distribution: Occurs from coast-to-coast in the U.S.; absent, however, from most of south coastal California; not definitely reported from the Santa Barbara area, but possibly occurring in the northwestern corner of the county. |