Common Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus communis)

[bill and Dale]

Hi everyone,
    I've had some thoughts about the Common Checkered Skipper lately I
wanted to share.  In the Audubon guide R.M.Pyle says Pyrgus communis is
"considered by many the most common skipper in North America." Klots
says (Peterson guide) that the range is from central Canada to New York
and west to California south to Mexico. It ranges from California to
Argentina and across the United States according to Glassberg.
Apparently the only place in North America the Common Checkered Skipper
isn't "common" is the Northeast.  Those of us who participated in
Biodiversity Day in Guilford last week got a nice treat when a small
population of these beautiful butterflies was discovered right on the
Farm that was the site of the event. There were four or five flying
around a hilltop meadow.  Last year on the day after Madison's
Biodiversity day (Sept 10, 2000) I had a single P. communis in my garden
and on and off for three weeks.  Today I had two on my hillside meadow.
In all three cases the butterflies were interacting with the plant of
the Malvaceae family commonly called "Cheeses" or "Common Mallow" (Malva
neglecta). A butterfly would land on a leaf as if to deposit an egg,
move to another leaf and act as if she wanted to deposit and so on. In
no case was I able to find an egg.  I noticed the same thing last year.
I'm wondering what's going on? Mallows in general (Hollyhocks, Hibiscus,
Sidda) are listed as the host plant for all members of the checkered
skipper genus (Pyrgus) and Cheeses would fall into the Mallow category
but it seems to me that the Checkered Skippers I'm observing are, at the
last minute, rejecting the plant as the appropriate site for offspring.
Also it's mid September, could a brood be successful this late this far
north? The cats would have to pupate and overwinter quickly to survive.
And assume it is possible how come no one ever reports seeing P.
communis until September?  Are the checkered skippers we see  migrants
going through the motions or pioneers attempting to expand their range
into the last corner of North America that they have yet to exploit?
Anybody have any ideas about this?
                                             Thanks-             Bill
Yule