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 25 - 48 of 383 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Jul 18, 2020
Submitted by: Scott Denkers
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
Observation date: Jul 19, 2022
Submitted by: MikeandShelley
Region: Pierce County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 27, 2022
Observation date: Jun 25, 2022
Submitted by: Team Kweeper
Region: El Dorado County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 03, 2022
Observation date: Jun 22, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 27, 2022
Observation date: Jun 15, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 17, 2022
Observation date: Jun 16, 2022
Submitted by: dsperanza
Region: Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 17, 2022
Observation date: Jun 10, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 13, 2022
Observation date: Jun 02, 2022
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Thurston County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 03, 2022
Observation date: Apr 13, 2017
Submitted by: Samela95437
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 02, 2022
Observation date: Mar 18, 2018
Submitted by: Samela95437
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 02, 2022
Observation date: May 04, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Thurston County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 04, 2022
Observation date: Apr 27, 2022
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 03, 2022
Observation date: Apr 29, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Jefferson County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 03, 2022
Observation date: Apr 22, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Apr 27, 2022
Observation date: Apr 06, 2022
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Apr 07, 2022
Observation date: Apr 07, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Apr 07, 2022
Observation date: Mar 20, 2022
Submitted by: RichHubie
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 22, 2022
Observation date: Aug 03, 2017
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 16, 2021
Observation date: May 15, 2019
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Oct 26, 2021
Observation date: Jun 15, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Jackson County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 19, 2021
Observation date: Jun 05, 2021
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 20, 2021
Observation date: Jun 02, 2019
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Sep 11, 2021
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