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 385 - 408 of 4497 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 29, 2022
Submitted by: Chrustay
Region: Luna County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 08, 2022
Observation date: Oct 23, 2022
Submitted by: leslierivera325...
Region: Tulare County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 05, 2022
Observation date: Oct 30, 2022
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 02, 2022
Observation date: Sep 06, 2022
Submitted by: bchensel
Region: Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 01, 2022
Observation date: Sep 06, 2022
Submitted by: bchensel
Region: Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 01, 2022
Observation date: Oct 29, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 30, 2022
Observation date: Oct 21, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 27, 2022
Observation date: Oct 22, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 27, 2022
Observation date: Oct 27, 2022
Submitted by: SamanthaI
Region: Bell County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 27, 2022
Observation date: Oct 26, 2022
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 26, 2022
Observation date: Oct 25, 2022
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 25, 2022
Observation date: Dec 04, 2016
Submitted by: bobscafe
Region: Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 25, 2022
Observation date: Oct 23, 2022
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Shannon County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 25, 2022
Observation date: Oct 16, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 21, 2022
Observation date: Oct 20, 2022
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 20, 2022
Observation date: Oct 19, 2022
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 20, 2022
Observation date: Oct 03, 2022
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 20, 2022
Observation date: Mar 02, 2019
Submitted by: Paddler41
Region: The Bahamas
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Feb 11, 2019
Submitted by: Reach
Region: The Bahamas
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Oct 12, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Oct 10, 2022
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Porter County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Apr 15, 2020
Submitted by: Howard Nemerov
Region: Bastrop County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Dec 31, 2014
Submitted by: DJHiker
Region: Chiapas, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Jun 27, 2020
Submitted by: ArturoYee
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
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