About Burnsius communis
Burnsius communis, commonly known as the common checkered-skipper, has a wingspan ranging from 19 to 32 mm. It gets its common name from the checkerboard pattern visible on its wings; males typically have broader bands than females. Its body is generally blue-gray, with the small amount of fuzz characteristic of all skippers. This butterfly can be found flying in gardens, parks, fields, roadsides, and riverbanks across lowlands and foothills. Its range covers all of southern Canada, almost the entire United States, and has also been recorded in Mexico. The species lays small, round pale-green eggs that are approximately 0.5 mm in diameter. Eggs are usually laid one at a time on tender parts of their host plant. Caterpillars have a black head and a greenish-tan body, with a dark line running along their back and paler coloration along their sides. In southern regions of its range, this species flies year-round and produces multiple broods each year. In the northern portions of its range, it produces two broods and continues flying late into the fall.
