White-barred Skipper (Atrytonopsis pittacus [W. H. Edwards])
Wing span: 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 inches (3.2 - 3.8 cm).
Identification: Upperside is brown with green-gray overscaling; forewing has large pale spots; hindwing has 4 clear square spots in a straight line. Underside is brown with purple-gray overscaling; markings resemble those on the upperside.
Life history: Adults have a fast flight. Males perch on hilltops all day to wait for receptive females.
Flight: One brood from March-October; a weak second brood in the fall along the United States-Mexico border.
Caterpillar hosts: Not reported.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Thorny desert grassland and open oak woodland.
Range: Southern Arizona, New Mexico, west Texas, and northern Mexico.
Conservation: Populations and their habitats should be conserved wherever found.
The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G3 - Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range (21 to 100 occurrences). (Threatened throughout its range).
