Species Detail

Meske's Skipper

Hesperia meskei (W.H. Edwards, 1877)

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Attributes of Hesperia meskei

Family: Skippers (Hesperiidae)

Subfamily: Grass Skippers (Hesperiinae)

Identification: Upperside is dark brown with bright orange areas. Underside of hindwing is bright yellow-orange with a faint band of paler spots.

Life history: Males perch to wait for receptive females, who lay their eggs singly on the host plant. Caterpillars live in silken tubes at the base of grass clumps and feed on grass nearby. They overwinter in shelters that are partially underground.

Flight: Two broods from April-October; several broods from May-December in southern Florida.

Wing span: 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 inches (3.2 - 3.9 cm).

Caterpillar hosts: Little bluestem (Andropogon scoparius) and arrowfeather threeawn (Aristida purpurascens).

Adult food: Nectar from flowers of blazing star, pickerelweed, and others.

Habitat: Sparse, open woods and grassy places.

Range: Southern North Carolina south to the Florida Keys. Isolated populations in central Arkansas and east Texas. Strays to South Texas.

Conservation: Not usually required.

NatureServe Global Status: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

Management needs: None reported.