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| Southern Skipperling |
Latin
Name: Copaeodes minima |
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Genus: Copaeodes Species: minima |
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Comments: |
| Easily overlooked, the Southern Skipperling is Florida's smallest skipper. It occasionally visits home gardens. Adults have a weak, darting flight and skim quickly over low vegetation stopping now and then to perch on available leaves or grass blades. The butterfly may be encountered year-round in Florida. |
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Life
Cycle: |
Broods: |
multiple generations |
Egg: |
laid singly on host leaves |
Larva: |
green |
Host Plants: |
Bermuda Grass and possibly others |
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Host
Plants: |
Host
Plants: |
Bermuda Grass and possibly others |
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Habitat: |
Habitat: |
open, grassy areas including roadsides, utility easements, old fields, meadows and forest edges |
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Wingspan: |
Inches: |
.5 - .75 |
Centimeters: |
1.3 - 1.9 |
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Appearance: |
Sexes: |
similar, although female somewhat darker |
Compare: |
Least Skipper is larger, has more rounded wings with dark dorsal borders and lacks whitish ventral hindwing streak |
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| Markings: |
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Above:
- elongated wings; male is bright tawny orange; female is brownish orange with darker scaling toward wing bases and along margins
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Below:
- yellow orange with narrow, cream streak through hindwing
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Abundance: |
occasional to common; local |
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Map Legend: Resident (green) | Stray
(Red) |
