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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Skippers (Hesperiidae) » Grass Skippers (Hesperiinae) » Hesperiini » Hylephila » Fiery Skipper - Hodges#4013 (Hylephila phyleus)
Photo#214422
Two Reasons Skippers are Tough to ID: First, even they can't tell the difference. Second, they don't really care. - Hylephila phyleus - male - female
Copyright © 2008 Ron Hemberger

Two Reasons Skippers are Tough to ID: First, even they can't tell the difference. Second, they don't really care. - Hylephila phyleus - Male Female
Incredible Edible Park, Irvine, Orange County, California, USA
August 15, 2008
On the right, we have a Fiery Skipper.
On the left, we have, uh, not a Fiery Skipper.

Can anyone help me with the species on the left? I don't think it's from around here (SoCal). FYI, the park abuts two rail road tracks.
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Contributed by Ron Hemberger on 15 August, 2008 - 8:48pm
Last updated 29 August, 2008 - 12:45pm

Same species: Fiery Skippers
These are a mating pair of Fiery Skippers. Don't forget, many butterfly species have males and females that look very different from each other (at least they probably look the same to each other).
… Harry Pavulaan, 20 January, 2014 - 6:55pm login or register to post comments

sandhill?
maybe sandhill skipper? Polites sabuleti?


and on a california site here.
… Nina, 15 August, 2008 - 8:59pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks, Nina.
I work with Peter Bryant to populate that site. I have an email in to him now to get his opinion.
… Ron Hemberger, 15 August, 2008 - 9:55pm login or register to post comments

 
good idea
I was just going from what was within your region... I don't know squat about western skippers, and just slightly more than squat about the eastern ones...
… Nina, 15 August, 2008 - 10:42pm login or register to post comments

 
I think we're all in the same boat
and unsure about the skipper!
… Ron Hemberger, 15 August, 2008 - 10:48pm login or register to post comments

 
Maybe
Maybe the one on the left is a female Fiery Skipper after all. I have seen some darkly-marked ones before. Such as this one:



I just haven't posted any of the females I've seen because the males look so much better to me!
… Kenneth Dwain Harrelson, 29 August, 2008 - 3:12am login or register to post comments

 
Hi, Kenny
That does look a lot like mine, but I still think they're different. (However, I have no idea on species for the female here, so could easily be wrong.)
… Ron Hemberger, 29 August, 2008 - 10:10am login or register to post comments

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