Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Oslar's Roadside-Skipper
Amblyscirtes oslari (Skinner, 1899)


Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside is orange-brown with no markings; male forewing has a small black stigma. Underside of hindwing is light gray with a pale postmedian band.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 3/8 inches (2.5 - 3.5 cm).
Life History: Males are territorial and perch on sandy spots in gullies and ditches to wait for receptive females.
Flight: One brood from May-July in the north; one brood from July-September in Arizona; two broods from April-September in New Mexico and Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Probably blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis) and other grasses.
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Ravines, canyon bottoms, and foothills in prairies and open woodland.
Range: Southern Alberta, Saskatchewan and North Dakota south through the high plains and Rocky Mountains to Arizona, New Mexico, and South Texas.
Conservation: Not usually required.
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