Hylephila phyleus

Geographic Range

Fiery skippers range in the Nearctic region throughout the southern United States and east toward the Atlantic. They are not found, however, in the Rockies or the Great Basin. Their southern range extends into the Subtropical region to Argentina and the Antilles. In North America, fiery skippers immigrate into northern areas but cannot overwinter in any life stage in regions that have harsh winters.

• Biogeographic Regions
• nearctic nearctic
• neotropical neotropical

Habitat

Fiery skippers are found most often in open areas, grassy fields, meadows, lawns, and alfalfa and clover fields.

• Habitat Regions
• temperate temperate
• tropical tropical

• Terrestrial Biomes
• savanna or grassland savanna or grassland

• Other Habitat Features
• urban urban
• suburban suburban
• agricultural agricultural

Physical Description

Extremely short antennae distinquish fiery skippers. They are less than 1/2 the length of the forewing. Females are yellowish-brown with small dark spots, males are fiery orange/yellow with a zigzagged border and a large black stigma (a gland used to excrete pheremones) on the forewing. Their wingspans run between 1.0 - 1.25 inches, with the females slightly larger.

The larvae of fiery skippers are tan colored and densely covered with short haris. They have three dark lateral stripes, and a large, dark head that looks segmented from the rest of the body.

The eggs are glossy, and pale turquoise/green and are hemispherically shaped

The chrysalis of fiery skippers are light tan in color with a black dorsal line than runs from end to end.

• Other Physical Features
• ectothermic ectothermic
• heterothermic heterothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

• Sexual Dimorphism
• female larger
• sexes colored or patterned differently
• male more colorful

Development

Fiery skippers develop from eggs to larvae, larvae to pupae, and pupae into chrysalis. The adults emerge from the chrysalis and fly off to mate and start the process over again.

• Development - Life Cycle
• metamorphosis metamorphosis

Reproduction

Male fiery skippers will perch close to the ground on twigs or blades of grass and await females. The fluttering of any winged insect passing by will evoke a response from the waiting males.

In the southern parts of their range, fiery skippers have many broods. If they are able to immigrate into northern areas, they may have a single brood in late summer.

Eggs are laid singly on the undersides of leaves, and occasionally on other plants and objects. Eggs are placed on weedy grasses such as crabgrass Digiteria spp. and Bermuda grass Cynodon dactylon .

• Key Reproductive Features
• seasonal breeding seasonal breeding
• year-round breeding year-round breeding
• sexual sexual
• fertilization fertilization
  • internal internal

Butterflies are not know to exhibit parental care.

• Parental Investment
• no parental involvement

Behavior

Fiery skippers are fast, darting butterflies.

The larvae roll and tie leaves to make nests, which tend to be horizontal in lawn settings.

• Key Behaviors
• flies
• diurnal diurnal
• motile motile
• migratory migratory

Communication and Perception

Like other butterflies, pheromones are likely important in communication of fiery skippers.

• Communication Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• chemical chemical

• Other Communication Modes
• pheromones pheromones

• Perception Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

Fiery skipper larvae eat a variety of grasses in the Poaceae family, including bent grass Agrostis , sugar cane Sacchiniarum officinarum , bermuda grass Cynodon dactylon , and St. Augustine grass Stenotaphrum secundatum .

Nectar flowers favored by fiery skippers include red clover Trifolium pratense , alfalfa Medicago sativa , white asters Aster spp. , thistles Circium , ironweed Vernonia , knapweed Centaurea , sneezeweed Helenium autumnale , and milkweed Asclepia .

• Primary Diet
• herbivore herbivore
  • folivore folivore
  • nectarivore nectarivore

• Plant Foods
• leaves
• nectar

Predation

Predators of all life stages of butterflies include a variety of insect parasatoids. These wasps or flies will consume the body fluids first, and then eat the internal organs, ultimately killing the butterfly. Those wasps that lay eggs inside the host body include Ichneumonidae , Braconidae , Pteromalidae , Chalcidoidea , Encyrtidae , Eulophidae , Scelionidae , Trichogrammatidae , and others. Trichogrammatidae live inside the eggs, and are smaller than a pinhead. certain flies ( Tachinidae , some Sarcophagida , etc.) produce large eggs and glue them onto the outside of the host. The hatching larvae then burrow into the butterfly larvae. Other flies will lays many small eggs directly on the larval hostplants, and these are ingested by the caterpillars as they feed.

Most predators of butterflies are other insects. Praying mantis , lacewings , ladybird beetles , assasin bugs , carabid beetles , spiders , ants , and wasps ( Vespidae , Pompilidae , and others) prey upon the larvae. Adult butterflies are eaten by robber flies , ambush bugs , spiders , dragonflies , ants , wasps ( Vespidae and Sphecidae ), and tiger beetles . The sundew plant is known to catch some butterflies.

Ecosystem Roles

Fiery skippers are minor pollinators and also serve as prey for a variety of predators.

• Ecosystem Impact
• pollinates

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

In regions where fiery skippers are less common, they may attract butterfly enthusiasts who contribute to local economies.

• Positive Impacts
• ecotourism ecotourism

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

Fiery skipper larvae are considered lawn pests in some parts of their range.

• Negative Impacts
• crop pest

Conservation Status

Fiery skippers are stable across their range and of no conservation concern at the present time.

Other Comments

The name Hylephila phyleus is derived from the greek words hyle, which means forest, and philos meaning loving.

Other common names include banded skipper, bordered skipper, great-headed skipper, and wedge-marked skipper. Previously used scientific names for the fiery skipper are Papilio phyleus , P. phareus , Hesperia carin , H. bucephalus , and H. hala .

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Matthew Wund (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Barb Barton (author), Special Contributors.

References

Blue, L., B. Parks. "Fiery Skipper" (On-line ). San Diego Natural History Museum Field Guide. Accessed 06/04/03 at http://www.sdnhm.org/fieldguide/inverts/fieryskipper.html .

Costa, H., R. Cowles, J. Hartin, K. Kido, H. Kaya. 2000. "Turfgrass - Fiery Skipper" (On-line ). University of California Integrated Pest Managment Program. Accessed 06/04/03 at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r785300811.html .

Glassberg, J. 1999. Butterflies Through Binoculars: the East . NY: Oxford University Press, Inc..

Iftner, D., J. Shuey, J. Calhoun. 1992. Butterflies and Skippers of Ohio . Columbus, OH: Ohio Biological Survey Bulletin, Vol 9 No.1.

Miller, J. 1992. The Common Names of North American Butterflies . Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institute Press.

Miller, L., F. Brown. 1981. A Catalogue/Checklist of the Butterflies of American North of Mexico . Lepidopterists' Society Memoir No. 2.

Opler, P. 1984. Butterflies East of the Great Plains . Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press.

Pyle, M. 1995. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies . NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

Scott, J. 1986. The Butterflies of North America . Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

Shapiro, A. 1966. Butterflies of the Deleware Valley . American Entomological Society Special Publication.

Struttman, J. 2004. "Butterflies of Texas: Hylephila phyleus" (On-line). USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center. Accessed November 22, 2004 at http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/tx/500.htm .