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Project Noah Nature School
Pyrgus communis
AKA: Cuadrícula Común Wingspan 2.5-3.8 cm Adult: usually darker than White Checkered-Skipper, and male often has partial black checks in wing fringes (rather than complete, as in P. albescens) Upperside of male bluish-gray; female black. Both sexes have large white spots which form median bands across both wings. Male has costal fold enclosing scent scales on upperside of forewing. Underside of both wings dull white with dark gray or olive bands. Spots of hindwing marginal row very small; spots of submarginal row larger.
Fields, edges. Range: Much of North America, south of northern forests; absent from southern California and southern Texas. (I run on the edge of both southern and central.) Season: Adults fly June-October in north (two broods), and all year in subtropical areas. Food: Larvae feed on mallows (Malvaceae), including Althea, Abutilon, Malva. Adults take nectar.
Found this today on a nature walk along the Medina River. I, myself, am amazed at the colors in this one.
Thank you everyone. I went with the Common Checkered-Skipper since mine is not pale. That was a tough one.
It could be either p. albescens or p. communis as they are indistinguishable without DNA analysis & both fly in Texas!
Spotted on Nov 17, 2012
Submitted on Nov 18, 2012
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