Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Disclaimer: This material is being kept online for historical purposes. Content is no longer being updated and may contain broken links.


Santa Barbara Field Guides - Butterflies
Lepidoptera
   Hesperiidae

     Pyrgus communis
     Common Checkered-Skipper


upperside
underside

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.

previous species                     Family list     Hesperiidae                     next species

© Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History