Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper
Amblyscirtes aesculapius (Fabricius, 1793)


Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Fringes are checkered black and white. Upperside of wings is dark brown; forewing has a row of white spots. Underside is dark brown with a yellow or white cobweb pattern.
Wing Span: 1 3/16 - 1 1/2 inches (3 - 3.8 cm).
Life History: Not reported.
Flight: Two broods from March-September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Probably cane (Arundinaria).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including elephant\'s-foot, sweet pepperbush, blackberry, white clover, selfheal, and dogbane.
Habitat: Moist, dense woods with cane growth.
Range: Eastern Oklahoma and east Texas east to southeast Virginia, south along the Atlantic Coast to northern Florida.
Conservation: Populations should be monitored as habitat is gradually being reduced by drainage and conversion to agriculture.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL