Dun Skipper
Euphyes vestris (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside of head and thorax is yellow-orange. Wings are brown-black; male forewing has a black stigma, female forewing has very small cloudy white spots.
Wing Span: 1 1/8 - 1 3/8 inches (2.9 - 3.5 cm).
Life History: To find receptive females, males perch in low spots about 3 feet from the ground. Females lay eggs singly on leaves of the host plants. Caterpillars feed on leaves and make shelters of rolled or tied leaves. Third-stage caterpillars hibernate, emerge in the spring to complete their development, and pupate in silken tubes at the base of the plants.
Flight: One brood from June-early August in the north; two broods from May-September in the mid-South; several broods from March-October in the Deep South and Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various sedges including chufa flatsedge (Cyperus esculentus) and sun sedge (Carex heliophila).
Adult Food: Nectar from white, pink, or purple flowers including common milkweed, purple vetch, selfheal, peppermint, dogbane, New Jersey tea, and viper's bugloss.
Habitat: Wet areas near deciduous woods such as meadows, seeps, swamp edges, and streams.
Range: Nova Scotia west across southern Canada to southern Alberta; south to Florida, the Gulf Coast, and eastern Texas. Separate populations in the high plains and Rocky Mountains, and on the Pacific Coast.
Conservation: Not usually 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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 5098 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 07, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Lincoln County, Maine, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 09, 2025
Observation date: Aug 05, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Lincoln County, Maine, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 06, 2025
Observation date: Aug 04, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Lincoln County, Maine, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 05, 2025
Observation date: Aug 03, 2025
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 04, 2025
Observation date: Jul 09, 2025
Submitted by: okeefenmt
Region: Dane County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 03, 2025
Observation date: Jul 20, 2025
Submitted by: Lady Vine
Region: Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 31, 2025
Observation date: Jun 17, 2025
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 27, 2025
Observation date: Jul 09, 2025
Submitted by: chirpus
Region: Albany County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 24, 2025
Observation date: Jul 21, 2025
Submitted by: Razzlefish
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 22, 2025
Observation date: Jul 17, 2025
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 17, 2025
Observation date: Jul 15, 2025
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 17, 2025
Observation date: Jul 14, 2025
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: Jul 14, 2025
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: Jul 14, 2025
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: Jul 18, 2020
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 13, 2025
Observation date: Jul 08, 2025
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 13, 2025
Observation date: Jul 11, 2025
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Jul 11, 2025
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Jul 11, 2025
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Jul 10, 2025
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 10, 2025
Observation date: Jun 26, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Union County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 10, 2025
Observation date: Aug 15, 2021
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Warren County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 10, 2025
Observation date: Jul 07, 2025
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 08, 2025
Observation date: Jun 08, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 08, 2025
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