Burnsius albezens
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Burnsius albezens, the white checkered-skipper, formerly known as Burnsius albescens and Pyrgus albescens, is a species of skipper (family Hesperiidae). It is found at low altitudes in the southern United States (southern California, southern Arizona, southern New Mexico, western and southern Texas - Florida) and Mexico. It is a rare stray to southwest Utah and central Texas and is found in a variety of dry, open habitats.
The wingspan is 25–38 mm. Adults are on wing year round in most of its range. The larva probably feed on several plants in the family Malvaceae, including Sphaeralcea, Abutilon and Callirhoe. Adults feed on the nectar of a variety of plants. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 9 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torreón | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Tijuana | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | San Luis Potosí | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White Checkered-Skipper sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 50th most-seen of the 189 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and August
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a White Checkered-Skipper in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in February and October, the lowest months. Those are among Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge's wettest months, with about 170 mm of rain a month against 50 mm in March.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White Checkered-Skipper sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate White Checkered-Skipper sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Joshua Tree National Park (United States, about 20%), Channel Islands National Park (United States, about 10%) and Congaree National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Hesperiidae
The closest relatives of the White Checkered-Skipper that you can see in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (family Hesperiidae, Skippers) are Salt Marsh Skipper (about 30%), Long-Tailed Skipper (about 20%) and Whirlabout (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White Checkered-Skipper is recorded against all the insects logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (25 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
