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 1 - 24 of 4449 verified sightings
Observation date: Nov 07, 2025
Submitted by: TJ in Derry
Region: Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Nov 08, 2025
Observation date: Nov 01, 2025
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 02, 2025
Observation date: Nov 30, 2024
Submitted by: SimplyElsie
Region: Jamaica
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 26, 2025
Observation date: Jul 19, 2025
Submitted by: Cheri Pierce
Region: Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Jul 19, 2025
Submitted by: Cheri Pierce
Region: Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 18, 2025
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Oct 06, 2025
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 23, 2025
Observation date: Oct 18, 2025
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 20, 2025
Observation date: Oct 11, 2025
Submitted by: Susan A Ward
Region: Ulster County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 15, 2025
Observation date: Oct 07, 2025
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 13, 2025
Observation date: Oct 09, 2025
Submitted by: Dogoszhi
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 11, 2025
Observation date: Sep 28, 2025
Submitted by: cp2023
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 07, 2025
Observation date: Oct 03, 2025
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 04, 2025
Observation date: Oct 02, 2025
Submitted by: Dogoszhi
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 02, 2025
Observation date: Sep 24, 2025
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Sep 30, 2025
Observation date: Sep 28, 2025
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 29, 2025
Observation date: Sep 23, 2025
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 28, 2025
Observation date: Sep 26, 2025
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 27, 2025
Observation date: Sep 26, 2025
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 27, 2025
Observation date: Sep 22, 2025
Submitted by: AzarNick
Region: Pettis County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 23, 2025
Observation date: Sep 20, 2025
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 23, 2025
Observation date: Sep 12, 2025
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 22, 2025
Observation date: Sep 17, 2025
Submitted by: LittleWoodSatyr
Region: Defiance County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 17, 2025
Observation date: Sep 09, 2025
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Lancaster County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Sep 15, 2025
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