Clouded Skipper
Lerema accius
Skippers get their name from their rapid, darting flight pattern, which makes them appear to skip erratically from flower to flower.
- Scientific name
- Lerema accius
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Hesperiidae › Lerema
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Open grassy areas, forest edges, roadsides, old fields, and suburban gardens.
- Diet
- Adults feed on flower nectar (such as buttonbush, shepherd's needle, and clover); caterpillars feed on various grasses, particularly St. Augustine grass.
- Range
- Southern United States, Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela
- Size
- Wingspan of 3.2 to 4.5 cm (1.25 to 1.75 inches)
- Lifespan
- 1 to 2 months as an adult
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Widespread pesticide use in lawns, habitat fragmentation, and frequent mowing of host grasses.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. This butterfly is completely safe to observe. Maintain a gentle distance of a few feet to avoid startling it. Do not attempt to catch or touch it, as its wings are highly delicate and easily damaged. If it lands on you, remain still and enjoy the moment until it flies away.
Lerema accius , the clouded skipper , is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found in the United States from Georgia west to Texas, south to Florida, and south through Mexico and Central America to Venezuela and Colombia.
Photo: Rebecca Gimenez Husted, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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