''Pyrgus ruralis'', the two-banded checkered skipper, is a species of skipper butterfly (family

Hesperiidae Skippers are a group of butterflies placed in the family Hesperiidae within the order Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). They were previously placed in a separate superfamily, Hesperioidea, but have since been placed in the superfamily Papilion ...

). It is found from southern British Columbia and the Rocky Mountains of SW Alberta, with populations south to central California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, and one population of an endangered subspecies in southern California, in the mountains east of San Diego. That endangered subspecies is ssp. ''lagunae'', known by the common name Laguna Mountains skipper. The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingsp ...

is 25–29 mm. There is one generation from April to July. The

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e feed on herbaceous plants in the rose family ''

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus '' Rosa''. The family includes herbs, shrubs, and trees. Most species are deciduous, but som ...

'', including '' Potentilla drummondii'', '' Horkelia fusca'', '' Horkelia tenuiloba'' and '' Horkelia bolanderi clevelandii''. Adults feed on flower nectar.

Subspecies

*''Pyrgus ruralis ruralis'' *''

Pyrgus ruralis lagunae ''Pyrgus ruralis lagunae'', the Laguna Mountains skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is a subspecies of '' Pyrgus ruralis''. Overview The Laguna Mountains skipper is a small, black and white checkered butterfly belonging to ...

External links

Butterflies and Moths of North America
Pyrgus Butterflies of North America Butterflies described in 1852 Taxa named by Jean Baptiste Boisduval Lepidoptera of Canada Lepidoptera of the United States {{Pyrginae-stub