''Burnsius communis'', the common checkered-skipper, formerly known as ''Pyrgus communis'', is a species of butterfly in the family

Hesperiidae Skippers are a family of the Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) named the Hesperiidae. Being diurnal, they are generally called butterflies. They were previously placed in a separate superfamily, Hesperioidea; however, the most recent taxonomy ...

. It is known as the frequently seen Pyrginae species in the northern United States by

collectors Collector(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Collector (character), a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe * ''Collector'' (2011 film), a 2011 Indian Malayalam film * ''Collector'' (2016 film), a 2016 Russian film * ''Collec ...

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 (Mars symbol, 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 sexual reproduction, repro ...

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 a ...

. 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 Caterpillars ( ) are the larva, larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterfly, butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawfly ...

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 ( Sout ...

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 a ...

Image:Common_checkered_skipper_Mbz.JPG,

Male Male (Mars symbol, 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 sexual reproduction, repro ...

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