Pyrgus ruralis
Encyclopedia
The Two-banded Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus ruralis) is a species of skipper
(family Hesperiidae). Subspecies lagunae is known by the common name Laguna Mountains Skipper. This subspecies is on the Endangered Species list. It is found from the mountains from British Columbia
and Alberta
to southern California
, Arizona
and New Mexico
.
The wingspan
wingspan is 25–29 mm. There is one generation from April to July.
The larva
feed on herbaceous plants in the rose family Rosaceae
, including Potentilla drummondii
, Horkelia fusca
, Horkelia tenuiloba
and Horkelia bolanderi clevelandii
. Adults feed on flower nectar.
Skipper (butterfly)
A skipper or skipper butterfly is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. They are named after their quick, darting flight habits. There are more than 3500 recognized species of skippers and they occur worldwide, but with the greatest diversity in the Neotropical regions of Central and South...
(family Hesperiidae). Subspecies lagunae is known by the common name Laguna Mountains Skipper. This subspecies is on the Endangered Species list. It is found from the mountains from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
to southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
wingspan is 25–29 mm. There is one generation from April to July.
The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
feed on herbaceous plants in the rose family Rosaceae
Rosaceae
Rosaceae are a medium-sized family of flowering plants, including about 2830 species in 95 genera. The name is derived from the type genus Rosa. Among the largest genera are Alchemilla , Sorbus , Crataegus , Cotoneaster , and Rubus...
, including Potentilla drummondii
Potentilla drummondii
Potentilla drummondii is a species of cinquefoil known by the common name Drummond's cinquefoil. It is native to North America from Alaska to California, where it grows in many types of moist habitat. It is perhaps better described as a species complex containing many intergrading subspecies that...
, Horkelia fusca
Horkelia fusca
Horkelia fusca is a species of flowering plant in the rose family known by several common names, including pinewoods horkelia and dusky horkelia. It is native to the western United States from California to Wyoming, where it is generally found in mountain forests and meadows. This perennial herb...
, Horkelia tenuiloba
Horkelia tenuiloba
Horkelia tenuiloba is a species of flowering plant in the rose family known by the common names Santa Rosa horkelia and thin-lobed horkelia. It is endemic to California, where it is known only from the coastal hills and mountains north of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a plant of chaparral habitat...
and Horkelia bolanderi clevelandii
Horkelia bolanderi
Horkelia bolanderi is a rare species of flowering plant in the rose family known by the common names border horkelia and Bolander's horkelia. It is endemic to northern California where it is known from only a few occurrences in two or three counties. It grows in the mountain forests of the North...
. Adults feed on flower nectar.