Family:Hesperiidae
Family
Description:
Range:
This western species ranges from southern British Columbia through the Pacific
Northwest to central California, and east through Idaho and western Montana to parts of Utah, Wyoming, and
Colorado.
Habitat:
It is typically found in mountain meadows and forest openings.
Diet:
Caterpillar:
Caterpillars feed on certain members of the rose family (Rosaceae), including
horkelia (Horkelia spp.) and cinquefoil (Potentilla spp.).
Adult: Butterflies drink flower nectar.
Ecology:
There is one generation of caterpillars each summer. Caterpillars
construct shelters from leaves tied with silk. The overwintering stage is unreported.
Adults generally fly from May to mid-July. Butterflies
tend to remain fairly local and are uncommon.
Reproduction:
Males perch and
actively patrol
in search of receptive females. Females lay yellow or green eggs on host plants
.
Conservation:
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Global Rank: | G5
most populations are secure, but may be of concern in the future. Subspecies P. ruralis lagunae of California is listed as Endangered. |
Opler, P. A., H. Pavulaan, and R. E. Stanford. 1995. Butterflies of North America. Jamestown, North Dakota, USA: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Home Page. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/bflyusa.htm (Version 05Nov98).
Opler, P. A. and A. B.Wright. 1999. A Field Guide to the Western Butterflies. Second Edition. Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, New York, USA, 540 pp.
Pyle, R. M. 1981. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York, New York, USA, 924 pp.
Scott, J. A. 1986. The Butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California, USA, 583 pp.
Stanford, R. E. and P. A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of Western U.S.A. Butterflies (Including Adjacent Parts of Canada and Mexico). Published by authors, Denver, Colorado, USA, 275 pp.