Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus (Drury, 1773)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Antennae are very short. Male wide black stigma. Underside of the hindwing is scattered with small black spots. Female: Upperside is dark brown with a very irregular orange band. Underside of hindwing is pale brown with paler checks.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 inches (3.2 - 3.8 cm).
Life History: Males perch in lawns and grassy swales to wait for receptive females. Eggs are laid singly under leaves and also on other plants and objects. Caterpillars eat leaves and roll and tie them to make shelters which lie horizontally in the sod.
Flight: Several broods from May-August in the north, all year in Florida and South Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), crabgrass (Digitaria), St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), and other grasses.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of a variety of plants including sweet pepperbush, swamp milkweed, asters, sneezeweed, knapweed, ironweed, and thistles.
Habitat: Sunny, open areas such as fields, lawns, gardens, levees, roadsides, and second-growth scrub.
Range: Southern United States south through the West Indies and Central America to Argentina. Cannot survive harsh winters; each summer this skipper may stray and re-colonize north to northern California, southern Minnesota, southern Ontario, and southern New England.
Conservation: Not required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Hylephia phyleus
Hylephilia phyleus
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 4353 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 10, 2024
Submitted by: kericson
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 12, 2024
Observation date: Mar 25, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 10, 2024
Observation date: Aug 09, 2024
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 10, 2024
Observation date: Aug 05, 2024
Submitted by: heather-russell
Region: Guilford County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 07, 2024
Observation date: Jul 03, 2024
Submitted by: houdini73
Region: Brown County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 05, 2024
Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 02, 2024
Observation date: Jul 26, 2024
Submitted by: moosemdg
Region: Moore County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 31, 2024
Observation date: Jul 22, 2024
Submitted by: kye
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 30, 2024
Observation date: Jul 27, 2024
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Allendale County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 30, 2024
Observation date: Jul 25, 2024
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 30, 2024
Observation date: Jul 23, 2024
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 27, 2024
Observation date: Jul 26, 2024
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 26, 2024
Observation date: Jul 25, 2024
Submitted by: merops
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 25, 2024
Observation date: Jul 17, 2024
Submitted by: Kigeliakitten
Region: Seminole County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 21, 2024
Observation date: Jun 29, 2024
Submitted by: mathgeek
Region: Jackson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 16, 2024
Observation date: Jul 06, 2024
Submitted by: Puccini
Region: Johnson County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 15, 2024
Observation date: Jul 12, 2024
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 12, 2024
Observation date: Jul 05, 2024
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Porter County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 07, 2024
Observation date: Jun 19, 2024
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 05, 2024
Observation date: Jun 19, 2024
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 05, 2024
Observation date: Jun 25, 2024
Submitted by: Patricia12
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 04, 2024
Observation date: Jul 02, 2024
Submitted by: Christinalea
Region: Texas, Wichita County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 02, 2024
Observation date: Jun 18, 2024
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 18, 2024
Observation date: Jun 16, 2024
Submitted by: houdini73
Region: Brown County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 17, 2024
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