There has been a particular skipper (family Hesperiidae, well family for now) species that Heidi and I have only occasionally seen out at our work site here in northeast Brewster County, TX. For a frustrating period (at least for me in particular) we (read I) just could not get a photo of this minuscule insect. A test of patience; we have many.
This morning, manna from heaven... or rather Earth... same thing perhaps.
Pyrgus scriptura Small Checkered-Skipper
This species is small. The first individual we came across many days ago was the size of -H's pinky nail. Almost think of pygmy-blue, but a checkered-skipper.
This particular individual was larger than the aforementioned, but still a diminutive checkered-skipper. Its common name is appropriate.
For those readers lepidopterally-inclined:
-Notice how much black is on the upper-side.
-Notice the lack of apical spot
-Check the fringe. Particularly the hind-wing fringe. It's barely checkered, if that. The dark notches not reaching the end of the wing. It gives the fringe a noticeable bold-broad whiteness.
-Hard to see in these pics of the usually lacking white basal spots on hindwing above. Some spring individuals do have them.
-Notice the gray-white area of the base of the costal edge of the forewing.
The World works in mysterious ways.
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