Summary ⁶

The Tropical Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus oileus) is in the family Hesperiidae, subfamily Pyrginae. This species can be distinguished from the Common Checkered Skipper by the presence of a hind leg hair plume in the male, which is lacking in the Common Checkered Skipper.

It is found from Peninsular Florida, the Gulf Coast, and southern Texas, south through the West Indies, Mexico and Central America to Argentina.

Description ⁷

Upper side is dark brown with pale markings; male forewing has a mat of long blue-gray hairs; hind wing of both sexes has marginal and submarginal bands made up of equal-sized spots. Underside of hind wing is pale, often with a strong brown overlay; not much contrast between bands and ground color.

Larva Description ⁷

Head black; prothorax brown. Body yellowish-green covered with tiny white dots, dark green dorsal and subdorsal stripes.

Larval Host Plants ⁷

Similar to those of the Common Checkered Skipper. Several plants in the mallow family (Malvaceae) including axocatzin (Sida rhombifolia), mallow (Malva), hollyhock (Althaea rosea), velvet-leaf (Abutilon), and malva loca (Malvastrum).

GTM Occurrence ⁷

The Tropical Checkered Skipper is considered an uncommon species at the GTM. All observations were in the open habitat along Transect A. This species occurs from June to September and November with peak abundance in August and September. There have been 19 specimens observed as of December 28, 2015.

Distribution ⁶

The Tropical Checkered Skipper is found from Peninsular Florida, the Gulf Coast, and southern Texas, south through the West Indies, Mexico and Central America to Argentina

Habitat ⁸

A variety of open situations including roadsides, pastures and openings and trails in wooded areas.

Nature serve conservation status ⁹

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Sources and Credits

1. (c) crookrw, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/10203691@N08/879678689
2. (c) Richard Crook, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/richardwc/5759506660/
3. (c) Bob Peterson, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/pondapple/5039223105/
4. (c) Mark Yokoyama, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/theactionitems/9655869610/
5. (c) GTMResearchReserve, all rights reserved, uploaded by GTMResearchReserve
6. Adapted by GTMResearchReserve from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrgus_oileus
7. (c) GTMResearchReserve, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
8. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28820835
9. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28820829

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• CUIC Insect Images
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants

iNat Map