Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus
Male fiery skippers are aggressively territorial, perching on blades of grass and darting out to challenge any flying intruder, including butterflies many times their size.
- Scientific name
- Hylephila phyleus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Hesperiidae › Hylephila
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- urban
- Habitat
- Lawns, gardens, parks, residential areas, and open fields.
- Diet
- Adults feed on nectar from flowers (such as alfalfa, asters, and marigolds); larvae feed on turf grasses, particularly Bermuda grass.
- Range
- North America, Central America, South America
- Size
- Wingspan of 2.5 to 3.2 cm (1.0 to 1.25 inches)
- Lifespan
- 1 to 2 months as an adult
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Widespread use of chemical cosmetic pesticides and herbicides on suburban lawns.
- Safe to approach?
- Completely harmless to humans. You can safely observe this butterfly from inches away as it nectars on flowers. It has no stinger or bite; if one lands on you, simply enjoy the moment until it flies away.
The fiery skipper ( Hylephila phyleus ) is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae and is approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) long. The males are orange or yellow with black spots while the females are dark brown with orange or yellow spots. The caterpillars are greenish pink with a black head. The caterpillars are often considered pests and can feed on Bermudagrass, creeping bentgrass, and St. Augustine grass.
Photo: Ken-ichi Ueda, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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