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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Skippers (Hesperioidea) » Skippers (Hesperiidae) » Grass Skippers (Hesperiinae)
Photo#320051
Is this a Tawny-edged Skipper?
Copyright © 2009 Richard Wolfert

Is this a Tawny-edged Skipper?
East Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA
August 13, 2009
Found this skipper feeding on a Butterfly Bush near our home (stayed on the bush for about 15 minutes). Most of the time, it was inside the bush and didn't make shooting easy. Couldn't get any photos of the top of the wing or in flight.
I am leaning toward Tawny-edged Skipper because of the combination of orangey color, whitish spot and indication of a dark line on the underside of the forewing. Also, is there a pale streak along the underside of the hindwing? Any ideas, please? Slightly different lighting on the 2nd image.

Images of this individual: tag all
Is this a Tawny-edged Skipper? Is this a Tawny-edged Skipper?
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Contributed by Richard Wolfert on 14 August, 2009 - 2:24pm
Last updated 6 September, 2009 - 9:48am

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Beatriz Moisset, 6 September, 2009 - 9:48am login or register to post comments

With that pale streak it look
With that pale streak it looks like a Broad-winged Skipper. They are out now and should be in your area. You didn't list size, but Tawny-edge is quite small and Broad-wing is pretty large. Check the field guides for sizes. Aaron's Skipper is somewhat similar, but you're too far north.
… Rich Kelly, 14 August, 2009 - 2:41pm login or register to post comments

 
size
Size is a major consideration for determination. This looks very much like a Broadwinged or Aaron's (Aaron's is only S. NJ) but they are both fairly large skippers. Broadwings are easily 2-3 times the size of a Polites spp. Broadwings are usually found in wetland or coastal marshy areas.

If it really is the size of a Peck's then this must be a Tawny-edged as there is no idenication of any other markings on the HW.
… Ray Simpson, 15 August, 2009 - 1:14pm login or register to post comments

 
Size Reference
I should have added in my original comment that it seemed definitely just a bit larger than a typical Pecks, for example. I noticed it was NOT the same size as most of the grass skippers. Does this help?
… Richard Wolfert, 15 August, 2009 - 9:27pm login or register to post comments

 
pecks
Peck's is a small grass skipper... Broadwinged and Aarons are larger than say a Fiery or Sachem. if it's smaller than a Fiery or Sachem I'd say it was a Tawnyedged. Too bad there's no shot of the upperside
… Ray Simpson, 16 August, 2009 - 11:36pm login or register to post comments

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