to Doug Dawn--unidentified butterfly

[ciprit]

Doug,
For me, your post only appeared on Chris Durden's reply, not as a
separate post, so I wanted to make sure you see this message.

Looking in my Audobon Field Guide, the photo of the Common Checkered
Skipper resembled what I saw reasonably closely enough.  It was
fluttering too much to get a close look.  The range--S. Canada to
Argentina--is quite broad, to say the least, so I guess it could be in
Philly.  No hollyhocks in my garden.  I do live in a section of the city
with a lot of gardens, so maybe a neighbor has hollyhocks, though I
don't know if they would be in bloom in early May here.  Do you know
what its larval host plants are?

Thanks,
Christina

At 03:49  10/05/00 EDT, you wrote:
>Christina, hmmmm...not much to go on!  Did you check Pyrgus communis,
the
>Common Checkered Skipper?  This butterfly is quite small and can give
the
>appearance of a browinish tinge in its usually grayish checkers, can be

quite
>beautiful an overlooked...I don't know if it is around in Phila at this

time,
>but I am near that latitude (OK that may be a lousy comparison) and
there
are
>plenty flying around...any Hollyhock in the garden?  It's one of their
host
>plants though they aren't too picky.
>
>Doug Dawn
>Woodland, CA
>