tawny-edged skipper

Tawny-edged skipper is a common, medium-sized, grass skipper. It occurs in the United States and southern Canada east of the Rocky Mountains. It is one of the most widespread of all skippers. Though widespread, it is rarely seen in large numbers, and it is considered uncommon.

Adults are active from early June through mid-August. They are found in open, moist, grassy areas including meadows, pastures, old fields, prairie swales, forest openings, roadsides, vacant lots, lawns, and gardens. They feed on nectar from a variety of flowering plants, including alfalfa, chicory, purple coneflower, red clover, dogbane, and thistle. The larvae feed on various grasses, including panic grass, crabgrass, June grass, and Kentucky bluegrass.

Adults have a ⅞″ to 1⅜″ (22 to 36 mm) wingspan.

On the male, the upper side of the forewing is orange on the front half and mostly dark olive-brown on the rear half. The stigma is thick and black. There is a pale orange, rectangular, “keyhole” patch at the end of the stigma, and sometimes a similar but smaller patch next to it. On the female, there is less orange, sometimes none. It is usually limited to the leading edge (costal margin). There is no stigma, and there are usually three or four pale yellowish or white patches in the middle of the wing. On both sexes, as with many skippers, there is a row of three small pale spots, the “wrist bracelet”, near the costal margin in the subapical area.

The hindwing is broadly rounded. It is brown on both sexes. It is usually unmarked, but on the female, there is sometimes a faint band of pale spots.

Wingspan: ⅞″ to 1⅜″ (22 to 36 mm)

Open, moist, grassy areas including meadows, pastures, old fields, prairie swales, forest openings, roadsides, vacant lots, lawns, and gardens

One generation per year in Minnesota: early June through mid-August

Various grasses, including panic grass, crabgrass, June grass, and Kentucky bluegrass

Nectar from flowers including alfalfa, chicory, purple coneflower, red clover, dogbane, and thistle

Sources

4, 7, 21, 24, 29, 30, 71, 75, 82, 83.

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.

The Witches
Dick Walton

Dan W. Andree
7/2/2024

Location: Frenchman’s Bluff SNA