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Species Hylephila phyleus - Fiery Skipper - Hodges#4013

Fiery Skipper - Hylephila phyleus - male Fiery Skipper - Hylephila phyleus Fiery Skipper - Hylephila phyleus Fiery Skipper - Hylephila phyleus Skipper - Hylephila phyleus - male Hylephila phyleus - female Skipper - Hylephila phyleus - female Fiery Skipper - Hylephila phyleus - female
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)
Family Hesperiidae (Skippers)
Subfamily Hesperiinae (Grass Skippers)
Tribe Hesperiini
Genus Hylephila
Species phyleus (Fiery Skipper - Hodges#4013)
Hodges Number
4013
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Hylephila phyleus (Drury, 1773)
Explanation of Names
Probably named after Phyleus (Greek φυλευς), a man mentioned in Greek mythology.
Range
e NA to CA / S to Argentina / W. Indies - Map (MPG)
Habitat
in among grasses and in open areas- quite common around lawns.
Season
Can be year-round, if the weather's mild enough- they keep having new broods until the weather gets too cold. In cooler areas they're seen from May-August
Food
Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), crabgrass (Digitaria), St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), and other grasses. Adults nectar on a wide variety of flowers.
Life Cycle
Eggs are laid on or around grasses. The caterpillars roll some of the grass into little shelters along the ground in among the grass, so they're rarely seen. After they pupate, the females wander around looking for suitable habitats, while the males stake out such places waiting for females to mate with.
See
Remarks
Interesting behavior:
See Also
Many species in the subfamily Hesperiinae are similar in overall colors and form, though differing in details of the color pattern.
Print References
Opler, pp. 365-366 & plate 35 (1)
Works Cited
1.A Field Guide to Eastern Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides)
Paul A. Opler, Vichai Malikul, Roger Tory Peterson. 1992. Houghton Mifflin Company.