Two-banded Checkered-Skipper
Pyrgus ruralis (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Upperside is light-to-blackish brown; forewing has squarish white spots; hindwing usually has 2 rows of white spots. Underside is brown or gray with dull spots that are often obscure. Male has a costal fold enclosing scent scales on the forewing.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/8 inches (2.5 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: To find receptive females, males patrol and sometimes perch close to the ground in valley bottoms or swales. Females lay eggs singly on the host plant. Caterpillars make a webbed leaf nest in which they live and feed.
Flight: One brood from April-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: Herbaceous plants in the rose family (Rosaceae) including Drummond's potentilla (Potentilla drummondii), dusky horkelia (Horkelia fusca), Santa Rosa horkelia (H. tenuiloba), Cleveland's horkelia (H. bolanderi clevelandii), and probably others.
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Forest clearings, meadows, pastures, streamsides; from sea level to 10,000 feet.
Range: Inconspicuous, usually local and uncommon. South in the mountains from British Columbia and Alberta to southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Conservation: The Laguna Mountains skipper (subspecies lagunae) is on the Endangered Species list and needs careful study of its conservation needs.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Habitat of the Laguna Mountains skipper requires periodic disturbance such as light grazing and small controlled burns.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 381 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 03, 2024
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 04, 2024
Observation date: Jun 25, 2024
Submitted by: Lupine1
Region: Pierce County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 28, 2024
Observation date: Jun 09, 2024
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 14, 2024
Observation date: May 27, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jun 10, 2024
Observation date: May 27, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jun 10, 2024
Observation date: Jun 07, 2024
Submitted by: dfagan746
Region: Jefferson County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 08, 2024
Observation date: May 12, 2024
Submitted by: wildebynature
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 27, 2024
Observation date: May 09, 2024
Submitted by: dfagan746
Region: Klickitat County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 10, 2024
Observation date: May 07, 2024
Submitted by: shuckabone
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 07, 2024
Observation date: Apr 19, 2024
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Thurston County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Apr 20, 2024
Observation date: Apr 18, 2024
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 19, 2024
Observation date: Apr 14, 2024
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Apr 16, 2024
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: natureali
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 07, 2023
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: natureali
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 07, 2023
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: natureali
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 07, 2023
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: natureali
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 07, 2023
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: natureali
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 07, 2023
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: natureali
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 07, 2023
Observation date: Jun 04, 2023
Submitted by: PDunwiddie
Region: Pierce County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 07, 2023
Observation date: Apr 28, 2023
Submitted by: Sammy Catiis
Region: Clallam County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 22, 2023
Observation date: May 15, 2023
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 20, 2023
Observation date: Apr 29, 2023
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Thurston County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 01, 2023
Observation date: Apr 28, 2023
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Apr 28, 2023
Observation date: Jul 25, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Apr 15, 2023
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