Grizzled Skipper
Pyrgus centaureae (Rambur, [1842])
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Fringes are checkered. Upperside is gray-black with squarish white checks. Underside of hindwing is gray-brown to black checkered with whitish spots; veins are white. Male has a costal fold enclosing scent scales on the forewing.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 5/16 inches (2.5 - 3.3 cm).
Life History: Males patrol and occasionally perch all day in open areas in their search for receptive females. Eggs are deposited singly on leaves of the host plant. Caterpillars feed within shelters of webbed leaves.
Flight: One brood from March-May in the south, requires 2 years to develop in the subarctic.
Caterpillar Hosts: Wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), Canadian cinquefoil (Potentilla canadensis), varileaf cinquefoil (P. diversifolia), and cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus); all in the rose family (Rosaceae).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of low-growing plants including blueberry, wild strawberry, and Canadian cinquefoil.
Habitat: Open areas near woods including valley bottoms, barrens, meadows, grassy hillsides, tundra, scrub oak openings.
Range: Holarctic. In North America, from Alaska south and east to central Ontario and northern Michigan. Isolated populations in Labrador and arctic Quebec, the central Appalachians, and the Rocky Mountains from central Alberta south to northern New Mexico.
Conservation: Populations on eastern shale barrens (subspecies wyandot) should be monitored and conserved.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Determine management needs for subspecies wyandot and implement if necessary.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 73 - 96 of 222 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 19, 1938
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (No collector)
Region: Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (R. de Jong)
Verified date: Oct 29, 2008
Observation date: May 07, 1964
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R.S. Simmons)
Region: Allegany County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (R. de Jong)
Verified date: Oct 29, 2008
Observation date: May 01, 1958
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R.S. Simmons)
Region: Allegany County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (R. de Jong)
Verified date: Oct 29, 2008
Observation date: Jun 28, 1953
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (S.S. Nicolay)
Region: Chaffee County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (R. de Jong)
Verified date: Oct 29, 2008
Observation date: Jun 10, 1939
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. Whitaker)
Region: Park County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (R. de Jong)
Verified date: Oct 29, 2008
Observation date: Jul 11, 2007
Submitted by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Region: Teton County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Verified date: Jan 23, 2008
Observation date: Jul 15, 2004
Submitted by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Region: Granite County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Verified date: Jan 23, 2008
Observation date: Apr 11, 2005
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Ted Wilcox)
Region: Ashe County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: harrylegrand (Harry LeGrand)
Verified date: Oct 25, 2006
Observation date: Apr 17, 2005
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Will Cook)
Region: Alleghany County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: harrylegrand (Harry LeGrand)
Verified date: Oct 25, 2006
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Huerfano County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Lac Qui Parle County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Duchesne County, Utah, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Park County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Park County, Montana, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Pendleton County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Chaffee County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Hudson County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Fremont County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: San Miguel County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Bath County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Rappahannock County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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