least skipper
(Ancyloxypha numitor)
| Conservation Status | IUCN Red List |
not yet assessed |
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NatureServe |
N5 - Secure S5 - Secure |
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Minnesota |
not listed |
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| Occurrence | Uncommon |
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| Flight/Season | Three broods from early June to late September |
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| Habitat | Wet meadows, marshes, slow streams |
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| Size | Wingspan: ¾″ to 1″ |
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| Photo by John Shier | |||||||
| Identification | The caterpillar is green, slender, and less than ¾″ long. A plate (prothoracic shield) extends across the upper part of the first thoracic segment. The white, forward portion of the shield is about twice as wide as the black, rearward portion. There is a white, two-segmented wax gland along the bottom of each side of abdominal sections 4, 5, and 6. There is a similar, one-segmented wax gland on abdominal segment 7. |
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| Similar Species |
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| Larval Food | Grasses |
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| Adult Food | Flower nectar |
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| Life Cycle |
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| Behavior |
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| Distribution |  |
Sources: 20, 21, 24, 29, 71. | |||||
| Comments |
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| Taxonomy | Order: |
Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) |
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Suborder: |
Glossata |
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Infraorder: |
Neolepidoptera |
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Parvorder: |
Heteroneura |
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No Rank: |
Ditrysia |
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No Rank: |
Obtectomera |
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Superfamily: |
Hesperioidea (skippers) |
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Family: |
Hesperiidae (skippers) |
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Subfamily: |
Hesperiinae (grass skippers) |
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| Synonyms | Ancyloxypha longleyi Hesperia bion Heteropterus marginatus Thymelicus puer |
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| Common Names |
least skipper |
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| Visitor Photos | |||
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| Dan W. Andree | |||
Least Skipper Interesting wings. Different in design compared to other butterflies. Neat little butterfly. I see a fly of some sort also was resting on that leaf too. A little added diversity in the photograph. |
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| John Shier | |||
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| MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos | |||
| Slideshows | ||
| Least Skipper DianesDigitals |
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About
Copyright DianesDigitals |
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| Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor) Bill Keim |
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| Ancyloxypha numitor (Least Skipper) Allen Chartier |
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| Visitor Videos | |||
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| Other Videos | |||
| Least Skipper - August 11, 2013 Don Gagnon |
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About
Published on Aug 12, 2013 Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor), Vegetable Garden, Gagnon Wildlife Habitat, Somerset, Massachusetts, Saturday morning, August 11, 2013, 9:02 AM - Canon PowerShot SX50 HS MVI_39836; 3:08 min. |
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| Skipper and Honeybee - August 17, 2013 Don Gagnon |
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About
Published on Aug 23, 2013 Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor) and Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera), Nectaring "Violet Opera" Dahlia (Dahlia variabilis) Flower, Butterfly Garden, Gagnon Wildlife Habitat, Somerset, Massachusetts, Saturday morning, August 17, 2013, 9:34 AM - Canon PowerShot SX50 HS MVI_41100; 33 sec. |
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| Visitor Sightings | ||||
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This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
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| Dan W. Andree 8/7/2019 |
Location: It was near a pond and grassy mixed area in rural Norman County, Mn. Interesting wings. Different in design compared to other butterflies. Neat little butterfly. I see a fly of some sort also was resting on that leaf too. A little added diversity in the photograph. |
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| John Shier 7/31/2016 |
Location: Pine Bend Bluffs SNA |
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| MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings | ||||
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