Woodland Skipper
Ochlodes sylvanoides
Skippers are named for their rapid, erratic, and powerful flight patterns that look like they are 'skipping' through the air.
- Scientific name
- Ochlodes sylvanoides
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Hesperiidae › Ochlodes
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Open wooded areas, forest edges, clearings, meadows, and suburban gardens.
- Diet
- Adults feed on nectar from flowers like asters and thistles; larvae consume various perennial grasses.
- Range
- Western North America, British Columbia, California, Rocky Mountains
- Size
- Small; wingspan ranges from 25 to 32 mm (1 to 1.25 inches).
- Lifespan
- Approximately 1 year, with the adult butterfly phase lasting 2-3 weeks.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, loss of native host grasses, and excessive use of garden pesticides.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. These butterflies pose no threat to humans. Observe from a distance to enjoy their rapid flight; do not attempt to catch or handle them as their wing scales are extremely fragile. No medical attention is required for contact.
Ochlodes sylvanoides , the woodland skipper , is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in North America from British Columbia south to southern California, east to Montana, Colorado and Arizona.
Photo: Gavin Slater, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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