Butterflies in Mind -- Zinnia
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A collection of 50 images as if seen from a butterfly’s point of view. Includes the names of native Zinnia species and the most complete list of US butterflies that will feed on Zinnia blossoms.
Butterflies in Mind -- Asclepias
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“Milkweed is the single most important plant for Monarch butterflies. This lavishly illustrated book contains details about the structure and cultivation of native Milkweeds, information about the 139 nectar-feeding butterflies they...
Butterflies in Mind -- Monarch
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This abundantly illustrated volume enables you to select from a complete list of well described perennial nectar plants that are known to attract & feed Monarch butterflies. Over 40 genera are described that are suitable to be grown...
Butterflies in Mind -- Perennials
Susan C. Dunlap
Butterflies in Mind - Perennials. This book is a definitive guide to perennial nectar plants preferred by US butterflies. It empowers you to feed, attract, support (and help identify) nectar-feeding butterflies that reside in the US....

Pyrgus communis

Common name: Common Checkered Skipper

Feeds on these plants:

Achillea ageratifolia

Achillea ageratum
(sold as Moonshine)

Achillea alpina

Achillea clavennae

Achillea filipendulina

Achillea millefolium

Achillea millefolium ‘Lavender Beauty’

Achillea millefolium ‘Paprika’

Achillea millefolium
(sold as Apple Blossom)

Achillea ptarmica

Achillea tomentosa

Achillea x kellereri

Achillea ‘Anblo’
(sold as Anthea)

Aster alpinus

Aster amellus

Aster divaricatus

Aster foliaceus

Aster novi-belgii ‘Winston S. Churchill’

Aster novi-belgii
(sold as Tiny Tot)

Aster pilosus

Aster praealtus

Aster subspicatus

Aster x frikartii

Aster x frikartii ‘Moench’

Aster
(sold as Pot 'n Patio Mix)

Bidens alba

Bidens artistosa

Bidens ferulifolia

Bidens ferulifolia
(sold as Yellow Empire)

Bidens pilosa

Bidens polylepis

Ceanothus americanus

Ceanothus arboreus

Ceanothus cuneatus ssp. rigidus

Ceanothus cuneatus

Ceanothus dentatus

Ceanothus gloriosus

Ceanothus griseus

Ceanothus griseus ‘Yankee Point’

Ceanothus hearstiorum

Ceanothus impressus

Ceanothus impressus
(sold as Vandenberg)

Ceanothus integerrimus

Ceanothus oliganthus

Ceanothus papillosus

Ceanothus prostratus

Ceanothus purpureus

Ceanothus thyrsiflorus

Ceanothus x pallidus ‘Marie Simon’

Ceanothus ‘Dark Star’

Ceanothus ‘Diamond Heights’

Ceanothus ‘Julia Phelps’

Ceanothus
(sold as papillosus)

Centaurea americana

Centaurea benedicta

Centaurea cyanus

Centaurea dealbata

Centaurea macrocephala

Centaurea montana

Centaurea nigra

Centaurea rothrockii

Centaurea solstitialis

Centaurea
(sold as Black Gem)

Dahlia hybrid

Dahlia hybrid
(sold as gallery Series)

Dahlia ‘A La Mode’

Dahlia ‘Juanita’

Dahlia ‘Yellow Dinner Plate’

Dahlia
(sold as Alfred Grille)

Dahlia
(sold as Assorted)

Dahlia
(sold as Bonaventure)

Dahlia
(sold as Dinner Plate)

Dahlia
(sold as Figaro Mix)

Dahlia
(sold as Gay Princess)

Dahlia
(sold as Mystic Desire)

Dahlia
(sold as Orange Dinner Plate)

Dahlia
(sold as Park Princess)

Dahlia
(sold as Pink Dinner Plate)

Dahlia
(sold as Prince Charming)

Dahlia
(sold as Purple Dinner Plate)

Echinops bannaticus

Echinops ritro
(sold as Taplow Blue)

Echinops sphaerocephalus

Erigeron formosissimus

Erigeron glaucus

Erigeron glaucus
(sold as Bountiful)

Erigeron glaucus
(sold as Cape Sebastian)

Erigeron glaucus
(sold as WR)

Erigeron karvinskianum

Erigeron karvinskianus

Erigeron karvinskinanus

Erigeron philadelphicus

Erigeron speciosus

Eriogonum abertianum

Eriogonum arborescens

Eriogonum compositum

Eriogonum crocatum

Eriogonum elatum

Eriogonum fasciculatum

Eriogonum giganteum

Eriogonum grande

Eriogonum jamesi

Eriogonum latifolium

Eriogonum nudum

Eriogonum ovalifolium

Eriogonum parishii

Eriogonum parvifolium

Eriogonum umbellatum

Eriogonum wrightii

Gaillardia pinnatifida

Gaillardia pulchella
(sold as Plume Series)

Gaillardia x grandiflora
(sold as Fanfare)

Gaillardia ‘Oranges And Lemons’

Gerbera hybrid
(sold as Germini Torpedo)

Gerbera hybrid
(sold as Orange Springs)

Gerbera jamesonii
(sold as Mini)

Gerbera jamesonii
(sold as hybrid Maxi Mix)

Gerbera species
(sold as pink)

Gerbera
(sold as Dakota)

Gerbera
(sold as Garden Hardy Carmine)

Gerbera
(sold as Garden Hardy Orange)

Gerbera
(sold as Garden Hardy Pink)

Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Lantana camara
(sold as Carlos)

Lantana camara
(sold as Landmark Peach Sunrise)

Lantana camara
(sold as Landmark Pink Dawn)

Lantana hirta

Lantana hybrid
(sold as New Gold)

Lantana involucrata

Lantana montevidensis

Lantana montevidensis
(sold as Confetti)

Lantana montevidensis
(sold as Lavender Trailing)

Lantana montevidensis
(sold as New Gold)

Lantana montevidensis
(sold as orange)

Lantana montevidensis
(sold as white)

Lantana montevidensis
(sold as yellow)

Lantana ‘Silver Mound’

Limonium perezii

Limonium platyphyllum

Limonium sinuatum

Salvia africana-lutea

Salvia apiana

Salvia ballotiflora

Salvia blepharophylla

Salvia brandegei

Salvia buchananii

Salvia cacaliifolia

Salvia canariensis

Salvia chamaedryoides

Salvia chiapensis

Salvia cleveladii, or clevelandii

Salvia clevelandii

Salvia coahuilensis

Salvia coccinea ‘Brenthurst’

Salvia coccinea ‘Lady In Red’

Salvia coccinea
(sold as May Night)

Salvia coccinea
(sold as Rose Queen)

Salvia coccinea
(sold as Select Rose)

Salvia coerulea

Salvia confertiflora

Salvia discolor

Salvia dolomitica

Salvia elegans

Salvia elegans
(sold as Golden Delicious)

Salvia farinacea

Salvia fruticosa

Salvia fulgens

Salvia gesneriiflora

Salvia glechomifolia

Salvia greggii

Salvia greggii ‘Navajo Bright Red’

Salvia greggii ‘Navajo White’

Salvia greggii ‘Sierra San Antonio’

Salvia greggii
(sold as watermelon Autumn Sage pink)

Salvia hians

Salvia hybrid

Salvia indica

Salvia involucrata
(sold as El Cielo)

Salvia leucantha

Salvia leucantha ‘Santa Barbara’

Salvia leucophylla

Salvia longispicata

Salvia mellifera

Salvia mexicana

Salvia microphylla

Salvia microphylla ‘Hot Lips’

Salvia microphylla
(sold as Bezerkeley)

Salvia microphylla
(sold as Rosita)

Salvia microphylla
(sold as ucb pink)

Salvia munzii

Salvia nemorosa

Salvia nemorosa ‘Sensation Rose’

Salvia nemorosa
(sold as Viola Klose)

Salvia officinalis ssp. lavandulifolia

Salvia officinalis

Salvia officinalis ‘Icterina’

Salvia officinalis ‘Purpurascens’

Salvia officinalis ‘Tricolor’

Salvia pachyphylla

Salvia patens

Salvia pozo blue

Salvia pratensis

Salvia regla

Salvia roemeriana

Salvia sclerea

Salvia sinaloensis

Salvia spathacea

Salvia species

Salvia splendens

Salvia splendens ‘Salsa Purple’

Salvia uliginosa

Salvia urica

Salvia verticillata ‘Purple Rain’

Salvia viridis

Salvia wagneriana

Salvia x jamensis

Salvia x sylvestris

Salvia x sylvestris
(sold as Snowhill)

Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’

Salvia ‘Waverly’

Salvia
(sold as Blue Victory)

Salvia
(sold as Red Hot Sally)

Salvia
(sold as Salsa Purple)

Salvia
(sold as Verona)

Stellaria holostea

Symphyotrichum chilense

Symphyotrichum dumosum

Symphyotrichum ericoides

Symphyotrichum henersonii

Symphyotrichum lateriflium

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium

Symphyotrichum praealtum

Symphyotrichum puniceum

Symphyotrichum spathulatum

Symphyotrichyum oblongifolium

Tagetes patula

Taraxacum officinale

Trifolium hybridum

Trifolium incarnatum

Trifolium pratense

Trifolium repens

Trifolium repens
(sold as Atropurpureum)

Trifolium rubens

Verbena bonariensis

Verbena hastata

Verbena hybrid
(sold as Quartz scarlet)

Verbena hybrid
(sold as Sparkler Purple & White)

Verbena hybrid
(sold as Sparkler Red & White)

Verbena hybrid
(sold as Sparkler Sky Blue & White)

Verbena hybrid
(sold as Tapien Pink)

Verbena lilacina

Verbena rigida 'polaris'

Verbena rigida polaris

Verbena rigida

Verbena stricta

Verbena ‘Homestead Purple’

Verbena
(sold as Aztec Cherry Red)

Verbena
(sold as Aztec Light Pink)

Verbena
(sold as Aztec Pearl)

Verbena
(sold as Aztec Raspberry)

Verbena
(sold as Aztec White Magic)

Verbena
(sold as Babylon Deep Pink)

Verbena
(sold as Sparkler Purple & White)

Verbena
(sold as Sparkler Sky Blue & White)

Verbena
(sold as Tukana White)

Verbena
(sold as x hybrida Taylortown Red)

Pyrgus communis, Common Checkered Skipper

When a butterfly, or any other insect or plant for that matter, has a variant of the word 'common' in its name, then it is generally wide-spread. Indeed, this butterfly is found all over the US and into parts of Mexico. However, the Common Checkered Skipper is not even remotely common to behold—it is a diminutive 1-1 ½-inch wide and has a delicate, checkered pattern to its wings.

It will come to gardens and parks and find its way to a wildlife friendly garden.
 
It has been recorded nectaring on Hyacinthoides non-scripta and Stellaria holostea, but truly will nectar on many more.
 
Plants in the Composite family (aka Asteraceae) attract the Common checkered skipper. There are 1620 genera in 12 subfamilies in the Composite family. Of these, roughly 300 species are in cultivation and are in this database. It might be true that this butterfly will feed on any plant in the Composite Family, but it is more likely true that it will have favorites. We know the adult butterfly will nectar on the plants listed below and encourage you to select from this list:

*Achillea
Aster
*Bidens
Bidens pilosa
*Centaurea
Dahlia
Echinops
*Erigeron
Gerbera
Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Stellaria holostea
*Symphyotrichum
*Taraxacum officinale
*Trifolium pratense
*Verbena
Verbena bonariensis

* Native and/or naturalized species found in every state. All others have naturalized in a few states; Gerbera is naturalized in Florida while Dahlia is naturalized in Alabama and North Carolina.
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DANDELION is a very worthy mention as attractive to the adult Common Checkered Skipper. Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, a Compositae, is a perennial, edible weed with a deep taproot.
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There are cultivated host plants for this butterfly. According to Wikipedia the host plants are found in the Malvaceae family, MALLOW. Naturalized mallows are found in every state in the union. There are 64 MALLOWS in this database.
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A Creative Commons image of the Pyrgus communis is shown here.