Skippers (Hesperiidae)

These are photos of Skippers (Hesperiidae). Click on a thumbnail to see the full size picture and description. Once there, you may click one of the arrows to navigate to the next photo, or press “escape” to return.

I’ve divided them by type.

Fiery Skippers

The females look similiar to the males but have darker coloring.

Yehl Skippers

This skipper is a little larger than a fiery skipper and overall has a more golden appearance. The light spots are very subtle. As with many of the small skippers, the female looks very different from the male.

Ocola Skippers

This skipper has a relatively long forewing compared to other skippers.

Clouded Skippers

Clouded Skippers are very common here. These are two pictures each of a single female and a single male, from different angles. In the female, the dot pattern against the dark background on the upper wings is distinctive. In the male, in the second photo you can just see the frosting on the outer edge of his wings.

Sachems

This is another type of skipper that is similar in size and general appearance to the Fiery Skipper. In the second photo you can see the top (inside) of the wings and compare them to the Fiery Skipper above. In the third photo, from this angle you can really see how this type of skipper’s wings fold up when they are not flying.

Whirlabouts

Patience was the keyword in getting this first picture! This little guy kept getting attacked by a territorial fiery skipper each time I tried to get his picture. So I finally just sat down by the purple lantana he kept coming back to, and was eventually rewarded with this great photo.

The female Whirlabout looks very different from the male. In the second photo, you can just make out the mottled spots on her wings that identify her for what she is. The third picture is a shot of the inner surface of her wings.

Duskywings

Duskywings are spreadwing skippers, so called because they do not fold up their wings like the grass skippers do. In the Horace’s Duskywings, the female is much more vividly marked than the male. I don’t see Wild Indigo Duskywings very often, so this was a great find.

Long-tailed, Silver-Spotted, and Hoary Edge

The silver spot on the wings of the Silver-Spotted Skipper is eye-catching when they fly. The Hoary Edge is similar in appearance to the Silver-Spotted Skipper, except the white is more diffused and spreads down to the edge of the wing. Longtailed skippers have beautiful blue-green iridescence on the top of their bodies spreading onto the wings. The last photo shows the outside of the wings and the long tail that gives it its name.

All photos copyright Ann Kinsinger. If you would like to use any of my photos, please contact me for permission at annkinsc@gmail.com

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