Subfamily Pyrginae — Spread-winged Skippers |
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| Butterfly | Link to photos | Where and When | Host plant |
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| Epargyreus clarus californicus 'California' Silver-spotted Skipper |
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2 broods May - Sept; San Bernardino, Santa Rosa Mtns. | Pea family inc. Lotus spp. |
| Polygonus leo arizonensis Hammock Skipper |
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1 brood Aug - Sept; rare in deserts, may stray | Legumes |
| Urbanus proteus proteus Long-Tailed Skipper |
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June - Nov, rare in Colorado desert | Various legumes |
| Thorybes phylades indistinctus Northern Cloudywing |
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May - July, fairly common in the local mountains | False Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa), other legumes |
| Systasea zampa Arizona Powdered Skipper |
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Broods in spring and Sept; Colorado Desert to Arizona, where it can be common | Rock Hibiscus (Hibiscus denudatus), Palmer Abutilon (Abutilon palmeri), Yellow Feltplant (Horsfordia newberryi) |
| Erynnis brizo lacustra 'Wright's' Sleepy Duskywing |
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Spring in the mountains were host grows, such as Culp Valley | Oaks - here Muller's Scrub Oak (Quercus cornelius-mulleri) |
| Erynnis propertius Propertius Duskywing |
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Mar - June where Coast Live Oaks grow in local mountains | Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) |
| Erynnis tristis tristis Mournful Duskywing |
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Most of the year (Mar - Oct) around Oaks in many places | Oaks inc. Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) |
| Erynnis pacuvius callidus 'Artful' Pacuvius Duskywing |
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Summer, into fall in some places; hills and mountains | Various Ceanothus spp. |
| Erynnis funeralis Funereal Duskywing |
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Most months except winter, common most places inc. gardens | Deerweed (Lotus scoparius), Desert Ironwood (Olneya tesota), others |
| Erynnis afranius Afranius Duskywing |
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Mar - Aug in Transverse range and south; a good spot is near Lake Cuyamaca | Nevada Lotus (Lotus nevadensis), Spanish Clover (Lotus purshianus) |
| Pyrgus ruralis lagunae Laguna Mountain Skipper |
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May - June at Palomar Mountain and Laguna Meadows; an endangered species | Cleveland's Horkelia (Horkelia clevelandii) |
| Pyrgus scriptura apertorum Small Checkered-Skipper |
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Mar - Oct in deserts with host Apricot Mallow | Apricot Mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) |
| Pyrgus albescens White Checkered-Skipper |
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Feb - Oct most wild areas where Mallows grow | Mallows |
| Heliopyrgus domicella Erichson's White-Skipper |
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1 Fall brood; E. San Bernardino County, more common in Arizona | Indian Mallow and Herissantia |
| Heliopetes ericetorum Northern White-Skipper |
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Mar - Oct; common in mountains and foothills | Mallows |
| Pholisora catullus Common Sootywing |
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April - Sept, where deserts and mountains meet such as Little Rock, though I've only seen it in Sierras | Various Pigweeds and Amaranths |
| Hesperopsis libya libya Mojave Sootywing |
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Mar - Oct in deserts inc. Anza-Borrego | Saltbush, esp. Atriplex canescens |
| Hesperopsis alpheus oricus 'Alpheus' Saltbush Sootywing |
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1 brood Apr - Jun; Lucerne Valley mentioned by Garth and Tilden | Saltbush (Atriplex canescens) |
| Hesperopsis gracielae MacNeill's Saltbush Sootywing |
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Spring and fall along Colorado River | Saltbush (Atriplex lentiformis) |
Subfamily Hesperiinae — Grass Skippers |
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| Copaeodes aurantiaca Orange Skipperling |
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Mar - Oct, widespread in wild areas such as Malibu Creek | Grasses |
| Hylephila phyleus phyleus Fiery Skipper |
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All year, ubiquitous in suburbs, esp. late summer in my neighborhood (Long Beach) | Grasses inc. Bermuda |
| Pseudocopaeodes eunus Alkali Skipper |
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Several broods spring to fall; alkali flats from Scissors Crossing north through Victorville and beyond | Desert Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata var stricta) |
| Hesperia juba Juba Skipper |
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May - Oct, mostly mountains near deserts such as those west of Anza-Borrego | Grasses |
| Hesperia colorado tildeni Tilden's Branded Skipper |
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Summer; mountains to the north in Kern Co; mine are from Mt Piños | Grasses, esp. Malpais Blue Grass |
| Hesperia colorado leussleri Leussler's Branded Skipper |
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Summer, common in local mountains such as Big Bear area | Grasses |
| Hesperia columbia Columbian Skipper |
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2 broods, 1 early summer and 1 fall, coast ranges and a few other places but not easy to find | June Grass and Oat Grass |
| Hesperia lindseyi Lindsey's Skipper |
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1 summer brood; most mountains but uncommon; I've yet to come across it | Blue Bunch Grass and Oat Grass |
| Polites sonora Sonora Skipper |
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1 brood late summer in San Bernardino Mtns inc. meadow near Bluff Lake | Grasses |
| Polites sabuleti sabuleti Sandhill Skipper |
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April - Sept; I've found this just once in my garden and at Formosa Slough in Dan Diego | Grasses, inc. Salt Grass (Distichlis spicata) |
| Polites sabuleti chusca Chusca Skipper |
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Summer in the desert; Valyermo is a good spot | Desert Salt Grass (Distichlis spicata var stricta) |
| Atalopedes campestris campestris Sachem or Field Skipper |
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Most of the year, most places, but uncommon; Formosa Slough a good spot | Grasses |
| Ochlodes sylvanoides sylvanoides Woodland Skipper |
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Common late summer and fall in the mountains; check roadside flowers | Grasses, esp. rye |
| Ochlodes sylvanoides catalina 'Catalina' Woodland Skipper |
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Summer on Catalina Island only | Grasses, esp. rye |
| Ochlodes agricola agricola Rural Skipper |
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April - July, many wild areas | Grasses |
| Poanes melane melane Umber Skipper |
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Most of the year, from gardens to mountains | Grasses |
| Euphyes vestris harbisoni 'Harbison's' Dun Skipper |
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Summer, very rare, in San Diego Co. where host grows near streams | San Diego Sedge (Carex spissa) in SoCal. |
| Lerodea eufala Eufala Skipper |
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Summer - Fall in many places; can occasionally be seen in suburban gardens, nurseries | Grasses |
| Panoquina errans Wandering Skipper |
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Summer, not uncommon where host grows along coast such as Upper Newport Bay or Crystal Cove | Usually Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata) |
Subfamily Megathyminae — Giant Skippers |
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| Agathymus stephensi California Giant Skipper |
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Fall in deserts; a good spot is Plum Canyon in Anza-Borrego | Desert Agave (Agave deserti) |
| Megathymus yuccae martini 'Martin's' Yucca Giant Skipper |
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Spring in deserts inc. Joshua Tree Nat'l Pk | Yuccas - schidigera and brevifolia |
| Megathymus yuccae harbisoni 'Harbison's' Yucca Giant Skipper |
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Spring, TL is near Scissors Crossing, but few have seen it there or anywhere else | Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera) |
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