Subject: Thirsty Butterflies
Location: Coryell County, central Texas
December 5, 2012 10:24 pm
I hand watered our shrubs and flowers today due to the continuing dry and warm weather. Well, thirsty butterflies flew to the yard, and drank and drank. I spotted several of these individuals. Are they skippers, perhaps Common Checkered-skippers? I looked in Bug Guide. I think the last individual may be ovipositing? Nature is confused by the unseasonable warmth, perhaps. Either that or the butterflies are thinking, ”Make hay while the sun shines.” A cold front is due to arrive on Sunday, alas, with temps maybe dropping into the teens. 🙁 (I left the last photo uncropped so that you could zoom as you wished.)Love your website and the information, thank you!
Signature: Ellen
Hi Ellen,
Sorry about the delay in posting your second submission. After posting the Red Admiral, we forgot about these Skippers which do appear to be Checkered Skippers. The final photo does appear to have caught an individual in the act of oviposition, but there is no plant visible in the photo. Butterflies generally oviposit directly onto the food plant for the caterpillar which for the Checkered Skipper includes plants in the mallow family, according to Bugguide. There are many weeds in the mallow family that grow in gardens and yards.
Update from Ellen
Subject: Checkered Skipper with Plants
Location: Coryell County, central Texas
December 13, 2012 1:29 am
Hello, enclosed is another photo of the checkered skipper with plants. I’m not sure what the host plant is, possibly the plant with the lavender stem. We have many wildflowers in this dry creekbed behind our house. Thank you again for all of your interesting help and information.
Signature: Ellen
Hi Ellen,
Thanks for the update. The leaves in the photo look like they might be from the mallow family.
The checkered skipper that was perhaps ovipositing was in a dry creekbed behind our house. It’s full of wildflowers, including many evening primroses. That may be a dried/previously frozen leaf? I didn’t realize the butterfly was laying eggs until later; I should have checked the plant when the butterfly flew away. Thank you for all of your information and help. ~ Ellen