Skipper - Poanes viator

Moved

Moved from Grass Skippers.

… tom murray, 3 December, 2006 - 7:26pm

This looks like Broad-winged Skipper

Poanes viator, but not 100 percent sure because I have only seen a few.

… Cliff Bernzweig, 20 November, 2006 - 7:34pm

For some reason...

... I think I showed this pic to someone who suggested it is the Dun Skipper. Ummm, any thoughts on this?

… Thomas of Baltimore City, 4 December, 2006 - 3:12am

Update...

I dug up the communication and it was id'd as a female DUN! I am going to inquire into why Dun was chosen rather than Broad.

… Thomas of Baltimore City, 5 December, 2006 - 6:05am

So, here is what he said....

"The Broad-winged Skipper almost always has some faint blotchy spotting on the underside hindwing."

Look at this page and compare the two specimens:

http://www.carolinanature.com/butterflies/broadwingedskipper.html

Any thoughts on this?

… Thomas of Baltimore City, 5 December, 2006 - 10:28am

It's there

Faint, but visible. Check out these Broad-wings with varying pale blotches on the hindwing.

… Cliff Bernzweig, 5 December, 2006 - 11:53am

I must

take your word for it. Thanks for the back-and-forth.

… Thomas of Baltimore City, 5 December, 2006 - 2:36pm

Not Dun

It is too colorful. The underside hindwings are tawny, and you can see some orange in from the margin of the forewing. As far as I know, Dun is pretty much all dark brown.

… Cliff Bernzweig, 4 December, 2006 - 5:31pm

Size

makes a big difference. The Broad-wing is twice the size of a Dun. The faint bars in the middle of the wing look like marks on the Broad-wing, but that might just be a trick of the light.

… tom murray, 4 December, 2006 - 8:42am