Male. Peter J. Bryant.

Fiery Skipper

Hylephila phyleus

Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae

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Male. Big Canyon, Newport Beach, Orange County, CA.8-9-08. © Peter J. Bryant.

Male. Big Canyon, Newport Beach, Orange County, CA.8-9-08. © Peter J. Bryant.

Irvine Regional Park, Orange, Orange County, CA. 7-15-09. © Ron Hemberger

Irvine Regional Park, Orange, Orange County, CA. 7-15-09. © Ron Hemberger

Female underside. © Peter J. Bryant.

Male underside. © Peter J. Bryant.

Mating pair. Great Park, Irvine, 11-2-13. © Robert Gorman.

Female. © Peter J. Bryant.

Peter's Canyon, Orange, Orange County, CA. 10-15-05. © Ron Hemberger

Fullerton Arboretum, Fullerton, Orange County, CA. 8-18-05. © Ron Hemberger

Irvine Regional Park, Orange, Orange County, CA. 2-6-07. © Ron Hemberger

Irvine Regional Park, Orange, Orange County, CA. 2-6-07. © Ron Hemberger

Irvine Regional Park, Orange, Orange County, CA. 2-6-07. © Ron Hemberger

Irvine Regional Park, Orange, Orange County, CA. 2-6-07. © Ron Hemberger

Characteristics: The shape of the stigma on the male should distinguish phyleus from similarly patterned skippers. The female is extremely similar in coloration to the Field Skipper (Atalopedes campestris), but lacks the translucent (hyaline) spots on the dorsal forewing. In addition, a long orange spur on the dorsal hindwing extends to the wing margin. Forewing length: 12-16 mm.

Similar Species: The Fiery Skipper might be mistaken for many other local but less common skipper butterfly species, particularly the Field Skipper (Atalopedes campestris) or the Sandhill Skipper (Polites sabuleti).

Habitats, Behavior: This species is a butterfly of the suburbs. It is rarely encountered or nonexistent in undisturbed regions. The adults will nectar at a wide variety of flower species, although those actually utilized should be recorded by an interested lepidopterist. The species exhibits the rapid skipping flights observed in many members of the family Hesperiidae.

Distribution: Generally distributed in Orange County's cities. Common at Upper Newport Bay, but only one record from the Santa Ana Mountains (Silverado Canyon?).

Flight Period: Our records extend from the middle of April into early November. The species is, by far, most abundant during the summer months. In Orange, the species usually becomes abundant around the first of July and remains so until September or later.

Larval Foodplants: Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon) is recorded (Emmel and Emmel, 1973). I once recorded oviposition on the yard weed spurge (Euphorbia sp.) in a dichondra lawn (no Bermuda Grass nearby). I doubt that the larvae could utilize spurge as a foodplant, however.

Other Remarks: The Fiery Skipper is the small orange butterfly which flies abundantly in suburban areas of Orange County, nectaring at many backyard flowers. Next to the Imported Cabbageworm Butterfly (Pieris rapae), it is probably the most commonly seen butterfly in Orange County.

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