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Hesperiidae
Plate — illustration to come
ButterflyNative · New Jersey

Skippers

Hesperiidae

Hesperiidae

Small, compact, fast-flying — often overlooked because they're small, brown-orange, and dart between flowers so quickly they barely register. New Jersey has dozens of native skipper species. They're worth learning: as a group, they pollinate a huge diversity of native wildflowers and native grasses.

Identify by

How to spot one.

  • Small (0.75–1.5 inch wingspan)

  • Chunky bodies — more moth-like than butterfly-like

  • Hooked antennae (the hesperiid signature)

  • Rapid, darting flight — hence 'skipper'

  • Often orange, brown, black, or checkered patterns

Life & behavior

How it lives.

Many skippers are host-specific — a single species may need one grass or one legume to reproduce. Most rest with wings folded over the back or held in the distinctive 'jet plane' pose (forewings up, hind wings out).

At a glance

The spec sheet.

Type
Butterfly
Active
April – October
Native to NJ
Yes
Conservation status
stable
Family
Hesperiidae
In the group

Notable species.

Species you’re most likely to see, plus any of conservation concern.

  • Silver-spotted Skipper

    Epargyreus clarus

    Silver patch on hind wing — the easiest skipper to ID

  • Zabulon Skipper

    Lon zabulon

    Purpletop grass specialist

  • Delaware Skipper

    Anatrytone logan

    Switchgrass specialist — a prairie remnant indicator

  • Wild Indigo Duskywing

    Erynnis baptisiae

    Depends on Baptisia — false indigo

  • Juvenal's Duskywing

    Erynnis juvenalis

    Oak specialist

Plants it uses

What it needs.

Plants this species visits, feeds on, or depends on. Names in hydrangea link to the plant’s Field Guide entry.

  • Native grasses (switchgrass, little bluestem, panic grasses)

    Larval host

  • Black locust and other legumes

    Larval host

  • Oaks (for duskywings)

    Larval host

  • Mountain Mint

    Nectar source

  • Purple Coneflower

    Nectar source

Sources

NJ Butterflies · Grimm's Gardens

More butterflys

Others in this group.