Euphyes pilatka
Size:
Wingspan is 1 3/4 - 2 1/8 inches.
Similar Species:
Broad-winged Skipper
Habitat:
Brackish marshes and ditches and fields with Sawgrass nearby.
Range/Abundance:
Uncommon and local in the tide water
portions of the coastal plain. In
the proper habitat it can be common.
Flight Period:
Adults fly from mid May until early October in two broods with a gap between
broods.
Larval Host Plants:
Sawgrass Sedge Cladium jamaicensis
Comments:
Palatka Skipper looks like a huge Tawny-edged Skipper. The large size
and plain brown looks make it easy to identify especially if Sawgrass
is nearby.
In the Everglades, Sawgrass is very common; so if the habitat resembles
the
Everglades, you might find this species.
The top and second photos were taken in Dare Co., NC on September 14, 2002. The third photo was taken in Dare Co., NC on September 09, 1999. The bottom photo was taken in Craven Co., NC on October 12, 2001 by Will Cook.
Male above.