Pyrgus communis albescens
Size:
Wingspan is 1 - 1 1/4 inches.
Similar Species:
Common Checkered-Skipper
common
Tropical Checkered-Skipper
stray
Habitat:
Open areas including lawns, old fields, powerlines and meadows. Once only
known to the southwestern US. Now found in the southern edge of the region
and perhaps further north.
Range/Abundance:
Likely common in southern SC although more data
is needed.
Flight Period:
Adults fly from early March until late November in three broods with slight
gaps between broods.
Larval Host Plants:
Mallow family Malvaceae
Comments:
Common Checkered-Skipper is noticeably larger and less white. The larger
size difference is more noticeable in the females.
In the past 10+ years research has shown that in northern Florida and
Georgia the White Checkered-Skipper has replaced the Common
Checkered-Skipper and it is impossible by sight to tell them apart
without dissecting the male and looking at its sex organs. Recently Ron
Gatrelle has found them in southeastern SC; and they are expected to move
northward.
