Sage Skipper
Common NameSage Skipper
Scientific NamePyrgus scriptura
FamilyHesperiidae
SubfamilyPyrginae
Wingspan (mm)22
Primary Colorsdark brown, white, black
HabitatDry grasslands, sagebrush flats, prairies, open woodlands, disturbed areas
Geographic RangeWestern North America, from southern British Columbia south through the Great Basin and Rocky Mountains to Arizona and New Mexico, east to western Nebraska and Kansas.
Host PlantsSphaeralcea (globemallows), other Malvaceae species
Flight PeriodMay to September (two broods)
Flight Styledarting
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Lifecycle NotesEggs are laid singly on host plant leaves. Larvae feed on mallows, pupating in a loose cocoon near the ground. The species typically overwinters as a larva.
Identification TipsDistinguished by its small size, dark checkered wings with a clean white fringe, and its preference for dry, open sagebrush habitats. It can be confused with other *Pyrgus* species, but *P. scriptura* is generally smaller with a less cluttered checkered pattern.
Description
A small, dark skipper with a distinctive checkered pattern of white spots on its dark brown to black wings, and a prominent white fringe along the wing margins. Its body is dark and hairy.
