''Burnsius communis'', the common checkered-skipper, formerly known as ''Pyrgus communis'', is a species of butterfly in the family
Hesperiidae.
It is known as the frequently seen
Pyrginae species in the northern United States by
collectors and
watchers alike.
Description
The common checkered-skipper has a wingspan of 19 to 32 mm. It gets its name from the checkerboard pattern on its wings; the
male
Male (symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilization.
A male organism cannot reproduce sexually without access to ...
tends to have broader bands than the
female
Female ( symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete during sexual reproduction.
A female has larger gametes than a male. Females ...
. The body tends to be blue-gray with the small amount of "fuzz" which is seen in all
skippers.
Distribution
This butterfly flies in gardens, parks, fields, roadsides, riverbanks, lowlands and foothills throughout southern Canada and almost the entire expanse of the United States. It has also been seen in Mexico.
Life cycle
The eggs are small and round, about 0.5 mm in diameter, and are a pale-green color. They are usually laid singly on tender parts of their host plant. The
caterpillar has a black head and greenish-tan body. It has a dark line along its back and tends to be paler on the sides.
In southern regions this species will fly all year with multiple broods. In the north it will have two broods and fly late into the
fall
Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southe ...
.
Larval foods
*
Mallow
Images
Image:Pyrguscommunis.JPG, Female
Female ( symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete during sexual reproduction.
A female has larger gametes than a male. Females ...
Image:Common_checkered_skipper_Mbz.JPG, Male
Male (symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilization.
A male organism cannot reproduce sexually without access to ...
Image:Pyrgus communis.jpg, Pinned male
References
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q97398039, from2=Q1971623
Pyrgini
Butterflies of North America
Butterflies described in 1872
Taxa named by Augustus Radcliffe Grote