About Heliopetes ericetorum (Boisduval, 1852)
Heliopetes ericetorum, commonly known as the northern white-skipper, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Hesperiidae. This species is distributed across North America. In the United States, it ranges from eastern Washington southward to western Colorado, southern California, and Arizona. It is also found in Baja California, located in north-western Mexico. Its natural habitat includes open woodland, chaparral, dry washes, desert mountains, and arid lands. The northern white-skipper produces two generations (broods) each year, and adult butterflies are active in flight from April through October. Adult males are mostly white, with black chevron-shaped markings along the margins of their wings. Adult females have larger, darker marginal markings, and their wings have more gray or black coloration at the base. The larvae feed on the leaves of various mallow species, including species from the genera Sphaeralcea, Althaea, and Malva.
