Northern White-Skipper (Heliopetes ericetorum) is a small butterfly, with a wingspan of 1.25 to 1.5 inches. This butterfly is a relatively rare sighting in East Bay. Local sightings are scattered from May through October, with a slight peak in June. Host plants are Mallows including Globemallow (Sphaeralcea), Hollyhock (Althaea), and Mallow (Malva).

Males are largely white; females have much more black.

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.

The type specimen, from which this butterfly was identified and named, was collected by Pierre Lorquin (after whom the Lorquin’s Admiral is named).

This butterfly is found primarily in the US, with a few scattered sightings in Baja California.