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Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.
Butterflies of the Andes
 
Neotropical Chequered Skipper
Pyrgus oileus LINNAEUS, 1767
Family - HESPERIIDAE
subfamily - PYRGINAE
Tribe - PYRGINI
 
 introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour
 
Pyrgus oileus, male, Manu cloudforest, Peru
 
Introduction
 
The Hesperiidae, or Skippers as they are commonly known, are divided into 5 subfamilies, namely the Grass Skippers ( Hesperiinae ), the neotropical Swifts ( Pyrrhopyginae ), the Spotted Skippers ( Heteropterinae ), the Giant Skippers ( Megathyminae ), and the Flats or Spreadwing Skippers ( Pyrginae ).
 
The Pyrginae are found throughout the world in all habitats. In the neotropical region there are 990 described species, but this probably represents only about 80 percent of the true total. Unfortunately there are no illustrated reference works which cover the entire fauna, so identifying many of them is extremely difficult.
 
Pyrgus oileus is probably the most well known and easily recognised member of the genus Pyrgus, which are known in Europe as Grizzled Skippers. In North America they are known as Chequered Skippers, which can be confusing because the butterflies known in Europe as Chequered Skippers belong to an entirely different subfamily - the Heteropterinae.
 
The illustrated butterfly is a male of Pyrgus oileus. All males in the genus Pyrgus ( and in several other Pyrginae genera ) have the basal half of the leading edge of the forewing folded. Within the fold are hundreds of specialised wing scales called androconia, from which pheromones are disseminated to entice females into copulation.
 
There are a number of similar species, all of which have reduced and less regular white spotting. P. oileus has a downy covering of greyish-white scales which are not present in other neotropical Pyrgus species.
 
This species occurs from the southern USA to Bolivia and Argentina.
 
Habitats
 
Pyrgus oileus can be found in a wide variety of disturbed semi-open habitats including pastures, rainforest clearings, roadsides, grassland / forest mosaics and farmland at altitudes between sea level and about 1800m.
 
Lifecycle
 
The eggs are cream in colour and laid singly on the upperside of leaves.
 
The caterpillar is yellowish green with darker blotches, a thin line along the back, and a black head. It feeds on the leaves of Malvastrum and Sida ( Malvaceae ).
 
The pupa is greenish, or reddish-brown with a dark line along the back.
 
Adult behaviour

 

Both sexes bask on low herbage, bare ground or stones, with wings outspread. They have a rapid darting flight, always close to the ground. The males are territorial, using stones or small fallen branches as perches from which they dart up to intercept females or to challenge other males.

 

They visit a variety of low growing flowering plants for nectar, feeding with the wings held half open.

 

At dusk the butterflies roost on dead flowers or terminal leaves of herbaceous plants growing along the edge of roadsides and similar situations.

 

 
 
Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007-2008, and must not be reproduced or published in part or in whole elsewhere in any form without written permission from Adrian Hoskins. Breach of copyright will be pursued by litigation.
 
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