The Common Checkered-Skipper butterfly is so closely related to the White Checkered-Skipper that it cannot be distinguished. The white and black checkered pattern makes this a simple identification. Males tend to have larger white spots than females and have bluish hairs near the body, but the patterns are virtually identical. The lower side has a white and brown checkered pattern.

 

“Common Checkered-Skipper” by Kenneth Cole Schneider, licensed under (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

 

Common Checkered-Skipper Facts

Butterfly Family: Skipper (Hesperiidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Pyrginae

Butterfly Wingspan: 1 – 1 1/2 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Open, sunny places with low vegetation and some bare soil including prairies, meadows, fields, roadsides, landfills, yards, gardens, pastures, openings, and trails in woods

 

Common Checkered-Skipper Host and Nectar Plants

Host Plants:

• Various plants in the Mallow (Malvaceae) family
  • Hollyhock
  • Globemallows
  • Mallows
  • Poppy Mallows
  • Crested Anoda
  • Velvetleaf Mallow
  • High Mallow
  • Prickly Mallow

Nectar Plants:

• Nectar from various flowers
  • Shepherd’s Needle
  • Fleabane
  • Asters
  • Red Clover
  • Knapweed
  • Beggar’s Tick
  • Mistflower
  • Prickly Mallow
  • Wingstem
  • Globe Amaranth