Copaeodes minima
Size:
Wingspan is 5/8 - 7/8 inches.
Similar Species:
Least Skipper
Habitat:
Weedy lawns, savannas, open fields, woodland edges and roadsides. In drier
short grassy areas of the coastal plain.
Range/Abundance:
Common to uncommon in the southern
coastal plain and sandhills, perhaps overlooked. Not found in WV.
Flight Period:
Adults fly from mid April until late November in up to four broods.
Larval Host Plants:
Bermuda Grass Cynodon dactylon
Comments:
This skipperling is so small it can be easily overlooked. It flies faster
than Least Skipper and is mostly orange
above.
These photos were taken in south Texas, where the Southern Skipperlings
tended to nectar taller flowers than they do in the Carolinas where they
are
always near the ground.
The top photo was taken in Hidalgo Co., TX on December 08, 2004. The
second and bottom photos were taken in Hidalgo Co., TX on December 11,
2004.
