Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus (Drury, 1773)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Antennae are very short. Male wide black stigma. Underside of the hindwing is scattered with small black spots. Female: Upperside is dark brown with a very irregular orange band. Underside of hindwing is pale brown with paler checks.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 inches (3.2 - 3.8 cm).
Life History: Males perch in lawns and grassy swales to wait for receptive females. Eggs are laid singly under leaves and also on other plants and objects. Caterpillars eat leaves and roll and tie them to make shelters which lie horizontally in the sod.
Flight: Several broods from May-August in the north, all year in Florida and South Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), crabgrass (Digitaria), St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), and other grasses.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of a variety of plants including sweet pepperbush, swamp milkweed, asters, sneezeweed, knapweed, ironweed, and thistles.
Habitat: Sunny, open areas such as fields, lawns, gardens, levees, roadsides, and second-growth scrub.
Range: Southern United States south through the West Indies and Central America to Argentina. Cannot survive harsh winters; each summer this skipper may stray and re-colonize north to northern California, southern Minnesota, southern Ontario, and southern New England.
Conservation: Not 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.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Hylephia phyleus
Hylephilia phyleus
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 265 - 288 of 4497 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 12, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 06, 2023
Observation date: Nov 04, 2023
Submitted by: Chrustay
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 05, 2023
Observation date: Nov 04, 2023
Submitted by: KShell
Region: Dixie County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 05, 2023
Observation date: Oct 28, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Nov 01, 2023
Observation date: Oct 16, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 30, 2023
Observation date: Aug 25, 2007
Submitted by: bapeck8
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 29, 2023
Observation date: Oct 27, 2023
Submitted by: bapeck8
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 29, 2023
Observation date: Oct 11, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 28, 2023
Observation date: Oct 27, 2023
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 28, 2023
Observation date: Oct 13, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 28, 2023
Observation date: Oct 18, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 28, 2023
Observation date: Oct 16, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 28, 2023
Observation date: Oct 18, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 28, 2023
Observation date: Oct 26, 2023
Submitted by: SNaP2it
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 27, 2023
Observation date: Oct 08, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 24, 2023
Observation date: Oct 07, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 24, 2023
Observation date: Oct 06, 2023
Submitted by: madamirie
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 23, 2023
Observation date: Oct 08, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 21, 2023
Observation date: Oct 08, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 21, 2023
Observation date: Oct 07, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 20, 2023
Observation date: Oct 18, 2023
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 19, 2023
Observation date: Oct 15, 2023
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 19, 2023
Observation date: Oct 13, 2023
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 19, 2023
Observation date: Oct 07, 2023
Submitted by: rajanrao
Region: Calaveras County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 16, 2023
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