Hesperiidae: Skippers

Subfamily Pyrginae — Spread-winged Skippers
Link Butterfly and host plant
Link to Epargyreus clarus californicus page Epargyreus clarus californicus - 'California' Silver-spotted Skipper
· Fabaceae family inc. Acmispon spp.
Link to Cecropterus pylades indistinctus page Cecropterus indistinctus - Northern Cloudywing
· Certain legumes, esp. false indigo (Amorpha fruticosa and californica), broad leaved lotus Hosackia crassifolia (Fabaceae)
Link to Pholisora catullus page Pholisora catullus - Common Sootywing
· Amaranthus fimbriatus (Amaranthaceae), Chenopodium californicum, non-natives C. murale, Salsola tragus (Chenopodiaceae)
Link to Pholisora crestar page Pholisora crestar - Crestar Sootywing
· Probably about the same as catullus above
Link to Hesperopsis libya libya page Hesperopsis libya libya - Mojave Sootywing
· Saltbush, esp. Atriplex canescens (Chenopodiaceae)
no photos yet Hesperopsis libya joaquina - San Joaquin Valley Mojave Sootywing
Saltbush (Chenopodiaceae)
no photos yet Hesperopsis alpheus oricus - 'Alpheus' Saltbush Sootywing
Saltbush, inc. Atriplex canescens, A. lentiformis (Chenopodiaceae)
Link to page of photographs and information about Hesperopsis gracielae, MacNeill's saltbush sootywing skipper Hesperopsis gracielae - MacNeill's Saltbush Sootywing
· Atriplex lentiformis (Chenopodiaceae)
Link to Erynnis lacustra page Erynnis lacustra - Lacustra Sleepy Duskywing
· Oaks - here Muller's Scrub Oak (Quercus cornelius-mulleri)
link to page with photos and information about Erynnis (brizo) burgessi Erynnis burgessi - Burgess's Sleepy Duskywing
· Shrub Live Oak (Quercus turbinella) in the E. Mojave desert ranges
Erynnis propertius Gesta propertius - Propertius Duskywing
· Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) in so. Cal. mostly; others up north.
Link to photographs of Gesta meridianus Gesta meridianus meridianus - Meridian Duskywing
· Oaks, in Keystone Cyn, New York Mtns
Link to Gesta tristis tristis page Gesta tristis tristis - Mournful Duskywing
· Oaks inc. Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) and Interior Live Oak (Q. wislizeni)
Link to Gesta pacuvius callidus page Gesta pacuvius callidus - 'Artful' Pacuvius Duskywing
· Various Ceanothus spp. inc. Ceanothus cordulatus
Link to Gesta pacuvius lilius page Gesta pacuvius lilius - Dyer's Pacuvius Duskywing
· Ceanothus spp.
Link to Gesta funeralis page Gesta funeralis - Funereal Duskywing
· Deerweed (Acmispon glaber), Desert Ironwood (Olneya tesota), many other common Fabs.
Link to Gesta or Erynnis afranius page Gesta afranius - Afranius Duskywing
· Nevada Lotus (Acmispon nevadensis), Spanish Clover or American bird's foot trefoil (Acmispon americanus)
no photos yet Gesta persius borealis - Persius Duskywing
· Thermopsis spp., Acmispon argyraeus, lupines, other legumes
Link to Systasea zampa page Systasea zampa - Arizona Powdered Skipper
· Mallows, inc. Rock Hibiscus (Hibiscus denudatus), Palmer Abutilon (Abutilon palmeri), Yellow Feltplant (Horsfordia newberryi)
Link to Pyrgus ruralis ruralis page Pyrgus ruralis ruralis - Two-banded Checkered Skipper
· Cinquefoils and horkelias
Link to Pyrgus ruralis lagunae page Pyrgus ruralis lagunae - Laguna Mountain Skipper
· Cleveland's Horkelia (Horkelia clevelandii)
no photos yet Pyrgus scriptura scriptura - Small Checkered Skipper
Alkali mallow (Malvella leprosa), desert mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)
Link to Pyrgus scriptura apertorum page Pyrgus scriptura apertorum - Small Checkered Skipper
· Desert mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)
Link to Burnsius albezens page Burnsius albezens - White Checkered Skipper
· Mallows inc. desert mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)
Link to Heliopetes ericetorum page Heliopetes ericetorum - Northern White Skipper
· Chaparral bushmallow (Malacothamnus fasciculatus), desert mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua), other mallows
Others
• Polygonus leo arizonensis - Rare stray; influx species in AZ most years.
• Urbanus proteus proteus - No so. Cal. records since 1992; occasionally breeds in AZ but rare there.
• Staphylus ceos - very rare stray; AZ resident.
• Burnsius communis communis - gets into so. Cal. more than once thought, but indistinguishable from albescens without genitalic examination (and males only).
• Heliopetes domicella domicella - old records of strays to Anza-Borrego, Colo. River. AZ resident.

Subfamily Megathyminae — Giant Skippers
Link Butterfly and host plant
no photos yet Agathymus gentryi - Gentry's Giant Skipper
Agave deserti - Desert Agave
Link to Agathymus stephensi page Agathymus stephensi - California Giant Skipper
· Agave deserti - Desert Agave
Link to Megathymus yuccae martini page Megathymus yuccae martini - 'Martin's' Yucca Giant Skipper
· Yuccas - schidigera and brevifolia
no photos yet Megathymus yuccae harbisoni - 'Harbison's' Yucca Giant Skipper
Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera); very few records for this one.
 

Subfamily Hesperiinae — Grass Skippers
Link Butterfly and host plant
Link to Copaeodes aurantiaca page Copaeodes aurantiaca - Orange Skipperling
· Grasses inc. bermuda
Link to Panoquina errans page Panoquina errans - Wandering Skipper
· Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), but can be reared on Bermuda and some others.
Link to Lerodea eufala page Lerodea eufala eufala - Eufala Skipper
· Grasses
Link to a page with photos and info about the fiery skipper, Hylephila phyleus Hylephila phyleus phyleus - Fiery Skipper
· Grasses, esp. Bermuda
no photos yet Pseudocopaeodes eunus eunus - Alkali Skipper
Desert Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata var stricta)
no photos yet Pseudocopaeodes eunus alinea - Alkali Skipper
Desert Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata var stricta)
no photos yet Pseudocopaeodes eunus flavus - Yellow Alkali Skipper
Desert Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata var stricta)
Link to Hesperia juba page Hesperia juba - Juba Skipper
· Grasses such as Poa pratensis and Bromus madritensis ssp rubens.
Link to Hesperia colorado idaho page Hesperia colorado idaho - Great Basin Branded Skipper
· Grasses
Link to Hesperia colorado tildeni page Hesperia colorado tildeni - Tilden's Branded Skipper
· Grasses, inc. blue grasses
Link to Hesperia colorado leussleri page Hesperia colorado leussleri - Leussler's Branded Skipper
· Grasses
no photos yet Hesperia pahaska martini - Pahaska Skipper
Low woollygrass (Dasyochloa (formerly Tridens) pulchella) - NY Mtns., others in E. Mojave
Link to page with Hesperia columbia photographs Hesperia columbia - Columbian Skipper
· June Grass (Koeleria cristata)
no photos yet Hesperia lindseyi lindseyi - Lindsey's Skipper
California oat grass (Danthonia californica) locally
Link to Polites sabuleti sabuleti page Polites sabuleti sabuleti - Sandhill Skipper
· Almost exclusively Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata)
no photos yet Polites sabuleti channelensis - Channel Islands Skipper
Desert Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata var stricta); Santa Rosa Island
no photos yet Polites sabuleti tecumseh - Tecumseh Skipper
Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata)
Polites sabuleti chusca Polites sabuleti chusca - Chusca Skipper
· Desert Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata var stricta)
Link to Polites sonora sonora page Limochores sonora sonora - Sonora Skipper
· Grasses
Link to Atalopedes campestris page Atalopedes campestris - Sachem or Field Skipper
· Grasses
Link to Lon melane melane page Lon melane melane - Umber Skipper
· Grasses, inc. Bermuda
link to Ochlodes sylvanoides sylvanoides page with photos and information about the Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides sylvanoides - Woodland Skipper
· Grasses, esp. rye
no photos yet Ochlodes sylvanoides santacruza - Woodland Skipper
Grass; Santa Cruz Island
no photos yet Ochlodes sylvanoides catalina - 'Catalina' Woodland Skipper
Grasses, esp. rye; Catalina Island
Link to Ochlodes agricola agricola page Ochlodes agricola agricola - Rural Skipper
· Grasses
Link to Ochlodes agricola nemorum page Ochlodes agricola nemorum - Forest Skipper
· Grasses
no photos yet Ochlodes agricola verus - Verus Skipper
Grasses
link to page with information and photos of Euphyes vestris harbisoni Euphyes vestris harbisoni - Harbison's Dun Skipper
· San Diego Sedge (Carex spissa) in southern California
Others
• Nastra julia - Extirpated from so. Cal.; formerly ranged southward from Blythe.
• Hylephila phyleus muertovalle - Pelham and others haven't accepted this lighter ssp. named by Scott as a valid taxon.
• Hesperia colorado Fall Sierra Nevada seg. - undescribed; in Ken's Emmel Update book.
• Polites carus - Apparently extirpated from Colo. River area.
• Ochlodes yuma yuma - There is a 1966 record from Topock Marsh SSE of Needles in the Colo. River area that Ken Davenport lists as in San Bernardino County. The marsh is just across the border in AZ, and there are no records I know of from southern California.
 

©Dennis Walker