About Burnsius philetas
Burnsius philetas, commonly called the desert checkered-skipper, was formerly classified under the scientific name Pyrgus philetas. It is a species of skipper butterfly that belongs to the family Hesperiidae.
This species is distributed from the southern United States, ranging from southern Arizona east to southern Texas, down to southern Mexico. Individual specimens have also been recorded as far north as northern Arizona and northern Texas. The wingspan of adult Burnsius philetas measures between 25 and 29 mm.
This butterfly has two to three generations per year. In Texas, generations occur from February to December, while in Arizona generations run from April to October. Larvae of this species feed on multiple plants from the family Malvaceae, including the genera Malvastrum and Sida. Adult butterflies feed on flower nectar.
