Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

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Santa Barbara Field Guides - Butterflies
Lepidoptera
   Hesperiidae

     Hylephila phyleus
     Fiery Skipper


male upperside
male underside
female upperside
female underside

Size: wingspread 1.25-1.25 in.
Recognition: Sexually dimorphic; male is yellow-orange above, with brown edges, female predominantly dark above; underside of hindwings orange, with arc of small dark spots, those of female much paler, with dark spots at outer edges of clearly lighter band; antennae short.
Flight period: Adults active much of the year, passing through multiple generations.
Hostplants: Larvae feed on weedy grasses such as crabgrass and Bermuda grass (Cynodon).
Habitat: Found in various open, such as sunny fields and forest edges; very common in urban areas, such as lawns and parks.
Distribution: The range of this skipper extends through the southern half of the U.S., south into Mexico.
Other: The Fiery Skipper one of the most common urban butterflies in our area.

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