Hesperia metea
Size:
Wingspan is 1 1/8 - 1 3/8 inches.
Similar Species:
Sachem (female)
Habitat:
Power line clearings, brushy open fields and woodland edges. Tends to
be found in dry, browned out areas where one might not look for butterflies.
Range/Abundance:
Rare to uncommon in the sandhills
and piedmont. Very rare in the mountains or under-surveyed due to the
early spring flight.
Flight Period:
Adults fly from early April until early May in a single brood.
Larval Host Plants:
Grasses including Little Bluestem Andropogon scoparius and Big
Bluestem A. gerardi
Comments:
This rare skipper is often overlooked or the proper habitat to find it
is ignored.
The top and second photos were taken at Raven Rock State Park in Harnett Co., NC on April 19, 2003. The third photo was taken in Pickens Co., SC on May 03, 2003. The bottom photo was taken in Franklin Co., NC on April 27, 2003.
