common roadside-skipper

Common roadside-skipper is a small grass skipper. It occurs across the United States and southern Canada. It is found from Mid-May to early July in edges and sunny openings of forests and woodlands; on stream sides, trails, and roadsides; and on gravelly and sandy roads. The preferred habitat is where woodland meets grass, and roadways neatly fill that niche. This is the source of the common name of the genus.

Adults have a ⅞″ to 1¼″ (22 to 32 mm) wingspan. The wings are rounded and dark blackish-brown. On the forewing there is a tight group of a three or four small white spots, the “bracelet”, near the costal margin in the subapical area. The spots are widest on the leading edge (costal margin), and together form a white wedge. The underside of the forewing has a violet or gray frosting on the outer third. The fringe on both wings is strongly checkered black and buff.

The antennae are short and barred. Each antenna has a swelling (club) at the tip, and a pale, thin, hooked extension (apiculus) at the end of the club.

Wingspan: ⅞″ to 1¼″ (22 to 32 mm)

Edges and sunny openings of forests and woodlands; on stream sides, trails, and roadsides; and on gravelly and sandy roads.

One generation per year: Mid-May to early July.

Larvae feed mostly at night. Early stage (instar) caterpillars live in shelters created by rolling a grass leaf and securing it with silk.

Adults perch on the ground or on low vegetation during the day.

Pupa overwinter

Many grasses, including bentgrass, bluegrass, brome, wild oats, and wildrye.

Flower nectar, especially from low-growing blue flowers, including heal-all and vervain.

Sources

21, 24, 29, 30, 71, 75, 82, 83.

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 7/10/2025).

Uncommon but sometimes locally fairly common

Skippers have traditionally been placed in their own superfamily Hesperioidea because of their morphological similarity. Recent phylogenetic analysis (Kawahara and Breinholt [2014]) suggests that they share the same common ancestor as other butterfly families, and thus belong in the superfamily, Papilionoidea.

Roadside Skippers
Dick Walton

Common roadside skipper
Jessica Gorzo