Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis) is a small butterfly, with a wingspan of 1 to 1.5 inches. It can be seen from March to November. Numbers peak in September-October. It uses several host plants in the mallow family (Malvaceae), including globemallows (Sphaeralcea), mallow (Malva), and hollyhock (Althaea).
In July and August, this butterfly is a reliable sighting on the Clover in the lawn just below the pond on the west side of the creek.
This is an example of a Spread-wing Skipper. Unlike Grass Skippers, the forewing and hindwing are laid out side-by-side. Spread-wing Skippers are also generally larger than Grass Skippers and do not share their characteristic brown-and-orange color scheme.
It is found primarily across the US and Mexico, but there are some sightings from the southern part of central Canada and some from Central America.
