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 577 - 600 of 4500 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 15, 2017
Submitted by: ewpoet
Region: Talbot County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Jul 01, 2019
Submitted by: Kurt R. Schwarz
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Jul 28, 2021
Submitted by: StacyN
Region: Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Sep 28, 2019
Submitted by: Sheryl Johnson
Region: New Castle County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Oct 10, 2019
Submitted by: LeeinDelaware
Region: Sussex County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Oct 30, 2021
Submitted by: Sheryl Johnson
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Nov 01, 2021
Observation date: Sep 27, 2021
Submitted by: Nick Pulcinella
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 29, 2021
Observation date: Oct 09, 2021
Submitted by: J Tinsman
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 29, 2021
Observation date: Oct 25, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 29, 2021
Observation date: Jul 06, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 29, 2021
Observation date: Oct 21, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 29, 2021
Observation date: Mar 15, 2020
Submitted by: Hlisalanderos
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 28, 2021
Observation date: Oct 27, 2021
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 27, 2021
Observation date: Oct 20, 2021
Submitted by: 1tom2go
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 26, 2021
Observation date: Oct 17, 2021
Submitted by: Janet Ruth
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 25, 2021
Observation date: Jun 29, 2020
Submitted by: cynthiafairy
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 23, 2021
Observation date: Jul 13, 2020
Submitted by: alicia ruiz
Region: Riverside County, California, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 23, 2021
Observation date: Jul 10, 2021
Submitted by: whatsmycaterpillar
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 19, 2021
Observation date: Oct 17, 2021
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 17, 2021
Observation date: Sep 26, 2021
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 17, 2021
Observation date: Oct 14, 2021
Submitted by: leiredna
Region: Alameda County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 15, 2021
Observation date: Oct 06, 2021
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Texas, Victoria County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 11, 2021
Observation date: Oct 10, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 10, 2021
Observation date: Oct 02, 2021
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Jenkins County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Oct 10, 2021
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