Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Carolina Roadside-Skipper
Amblyscirtes carolina (Skinner, 1892)


Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside is dark brown; forewing with small yellow spots. Underside of forewing is black with a dull yellow apex; hindwing is dull yellow with brown spots.
Wing Span: 1 1/8 - 1 7/16 inches (2.9 - 3.7 cm).
Life History: Males perch in the afternoons in sunny openings to wait for females.
Flight: Three broods from April-September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Probably switch cane (Arundinaria tecta).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of sweet pepperbush, swamp milkweed, cinquefoil, wild strawberry, blackberry, and ironweed.
Habitat: Near streams and swamps in wet woods.
Range: Southeast Virginia south to South Carolina; west to northern Mississippi. Isolated populations in Delaware, southern Illinois, and northwest Arkansas.
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