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Pyrgus xanthus

(Mountain Checkered)

Overview

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Vulnerable

Threat status

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Mountain Checkered, Mountain Checkered-Skipper

Description

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Family Hesperiidae

'The Hesperiidae are members of the Superfamily Hesperioidea. Worldwide in distribution, skippers are richest in the tropics. More than 3,500 species are described, with approximately 275 in North America, many of which are found only in Arizona and Texas. Most skippers are small to medium, usually orange, brown, black, white, or gray. A few have iridescent colors. Skippers have large eyes, short antennae (often with hooked clubs), stout bodies, and three pairs of walking legs . Their flight is often rapid, making wing movement appear blurred. Adults of most species have long probicscises and feed on floral nectar, but some also take up nutrients from bird droppings. Males have scent scales found in modified forewing patches. Males of most species locate mates by perching (grass and giant-skippers), though some patrol, especially in the open-winged skippers. Globular eggs are laid singly.

'[1]

Subfamily Pyrginae

Pyrgines are primarily tropical American species of the Family Hesperiidae. There are approximately 80 North American species. Most genera are tropical, but the duskywings and checkered-skippers are mainly temperate and also occur in Eurasia . Adults of many species land with their wings open, although some perch with their wings closed or half open. They imbibe nectar from flowers, and males of many species take in moisture from moist sand or mud . Some adults also feed on bird droppings. Many tropical species rest underneath leaves when inactive . Females lay eggs singly. Most species lay eggs directly on host-plant leaves, while others lay on nearby plants or objects. Almost all species use broad-leafed plants as their caterpillar hosts, and caterpillars live in rolled-leaf or webbed-leaf shelters .[2]

Physical Description

Species Pyrgus xanthus

Upperside is dark grayish brown with 2 broken , irregular rows of white spots across both wings . Underside is similar to upperside, but duller. White hindwing fringe is streaked with black to the edge of the fringe. Male does not have a costal fold. (ref. 104971)

Color:

Upperside is dark grayish brown with 2 broken , irregular rows of white spots across both wings . Underside is similar to upperside, but duller. White hindwing fringe is streaked with black to the edge of the fringe. Male does not have a costal fold.

Size/Age/Growth

Wing span : 3/4 - 1 inch (2 - 2.5 cm).

Habitat

High mountain clearings from 8000 to 10,500 feet in elevation .

Biology

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Diet

Caterpillar hosts: Various Potentilla species in the rose family (Rosaceae). Adult food: Flower nectar and dung.

Reproduction

Males patrol but usually perch in gullies all day to watch for receptive females. Eggs are laid singly on leaves or flowers of the host plants . Caterpillars make a webbed shelter in which they rest and feed .

Behavior

Flight: One brood from April-June.

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Pyrgus

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 27 species and subspecies in this genus:

P. albescens (White Checkered) · P. alveus (Large Grizzled Skipper) · P. alveus alveus (Large Grizzled Skipper) · P. andromedae (Alpine Grizzled Skipper) · P. armoricanus (Oberthür's Grizzled Skipper) · P. bellieri (Foulquiers Grizzled Skipper) · P. cacaliae (Dusky Grizzled Skipper) · P. carlinae (Carline Skipper) · P. carthami (Safflower Skipper) · P. centaureae (Grizzled Skipper) · P. centaureae freija (Freija's Grizzled Skipper) · P. cirsii (Cinquefoil Skipper) · P. communis (Common Checkered) · P. malvae (Grizzled Skipper) · P. malvae malvae (Grizzled Skipper) · P. malvoides (Southern Grizzled Skipper) · P. oileus (Tropical Checkered) · P. philetas (Desert Checkered-Skipper) · P. ruralis (Two-Banded Checkered-Skipper) · P. ruralis lagunae (Laguna Mountains Skipper) · P. scriptura (Small Checkered-Skipper) · P. serratulae (Olive Skipper) · P. sidae (Yellow-Banded Skipper) · P. sidae sidae (Yellow-Banded Skipper) · P. warrenensis (Warren's Skipper) · P. wyandot (Appalachian Checkered-Skipper) · P. xanthus (Mountain Checkered)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/taxonomy?f=19&sci=Hesperiidae&com=Skippers [back]
  2. http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Thessia&search=Search [back]
Last Revised: 7/16/2012