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 361 - 384 of 4497 verified sightings
Observation date: Mar 08, 2023
Submitted by: Business250
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 12, 2023
Observation date: Dec 05, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Nov 13, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: Sep 06, 2021
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Napa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 14, 2023
Observation date: Oct 16, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Feb 13, 2023
Observation date: Sep 04, 2022
Submitted by: madamirie
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 12, 2023
Observation date: Mar 02, 2019
Submitted by: Paddler41
Region: The Bahamas
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 10, 2023
Observation date: May 21, 2020
Submitted by: ObserverofGod'sart
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 09, 2023
Observation date: Oct 16, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Feb 06, 2023
Observation date: Feb 04, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 04, 2023
Observation date: Nov 06, 2022
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Harris County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Feb 02, 2023
Observation date: Oct 24, 2022
Submitted by: tonzetich
Region: St. Lucia
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 01, 2023
Observation date: Sep 01, 2021
Submitted by: Brynne Bryan
Region: Denton County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 18, 2023
Observation date: Aug 30, 2022
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Dec 22, 2022
Observation date: Jul 19, 2022
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 13, 2022
Observation date: Apr 08, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
Observation date: Mar 27, 2022
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 03, 2022
Observation date: May 16, 2022
Submitted by: Debo
Region: Montgomery County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 02, 2022
Observation date: Nov 23, 2022
Submitted by: Tatiana Staats
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 23, 2022
Observation date: Nov 19, 2022
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 22, 2022
Observation date: Nov 15, 2022
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 18, 2022
Observation date: Sep 23, 2022
Submitted by: mathgeek
Region: Jackson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 15, 2022
Observation date: Sep 17, 2017
Submitted by: Carawilson
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 11, 2022
Observation date: Sep 22, 2022
Submitted by: jasong9019
Region: Alameda County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 09, 2022
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