Atrytone arogos
Size:
Wingspan is 1 1/8 - 1 7/16 inches.
Similar Species:
Delaware Skipper
Habitat:
Open longleaf pine savannas with undisturbed native grasses.
Range/Abundance:
Very rare only known to one site
in the coastal plain of NC in recent years. In the western US,
this can be a common species.
Flight Period:
Adults fly in mid May until early June in the first brood and mid August
until mid September during the second brood. There are no recent records
of the first brood to my knowledge.
Larval Host Plants:
Native grasses including Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardi
Comments:
This little golden skipper seems to never open its wings when perched.
This species could be confused with a worn Delaware
Skipper
which is a bright orange.
A concentrated search in the right habitat at the right time of the year is needed to find the rare Arogos Skipper.
All photos were taken in Carteret Co, NC on August 24, 2003.
