Pyrgus communis communis

Photo Life History: Pyrgus communis communis

Habitat:  Urban-Suburban; Agricultural Areas; Valley Wet Meadows; Mountain Canyons; Pinyon Juniper;

Host Plants:  Malva neglecta; Sida hederacea; Sphaeralcea ambigua; Sphaeralcea coccinea

Suitable Lab Host Plants: Alcea rosea (Most any mallows will work in the lab.)

How to Find Female Butterflies:  Click here.

How to Care for Live Female Butterflies:  Click here.

Methods of Female Oviposition:  Portable Cages; Potted Plant Sleeves; Small Squat Tub

How to Find Eggs:   

How to Hatch Eggs: Consolidate eggs into one container

How to Find Caterpillars in the Field: Look for Skipper Nests. Checkered skippers make conspicuous nests on mallows.  Click here for example.

How to Find Pupae in the Field:  Look for Skipper Nests. However, I have not been able to locate pupae in larval nests.  Larvae may wander off plant before pupating.

Caterpillar setups: Open terrariums; Open Bucket; Twin Cup Method;

Larva to Pupa:  Larva Changes Color from green to brown before hibernating; green to pink before pupating.

Number of Broods per Year: 2-3

Overwintering Stage:  larva (possibly different instars)

Overwintering Strategies: Your Own Backyard; Refrigerator

Post-Hibernation Strategies:  Provide post-diapause larva with warmer temperatures and fresh host plant.

Avoiding Diapause Techniques:  Healthy host plant.  It is not difficult to push late-fall feeding larvae through to pupa/adult by providing fresh host plant.

Disease Prevention:   Change out host plant and remove frass every two to three days. 

Emergence:  Emergence Container

Field Notes: