Amblyscirtes aesculapius
Size:
Wingspan is 1 3/16 - 1 1/2 inches.
Similar Species:
Pepper and Salt Skipper
Habitat:
Moist, dense woods with cane growth, bottomlands, flood plains, wet power
line clearings, roadsides and ditches.
Range/Abundance:
Widespread in NC and SC. Uncommon
or locally common in the coastal plain, rare in the piedmont and mountains.
Rare in VA perhaps locally common in the Great Dismal Swamp. Not recorded
in WV.
Flight Period:
Adults fly from early April until late September in two to three broods
with gaps between broods.
Larval Host Plants:
Probably cane Arundinaria.
Comments:
When fresh, this is one of the prettiest and most unique skipper species
in the region.
In New England out of the normal range of the Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper
its close relative, the Pepper and Salt Skipper, is more boldly marked
and looks a good bit like it.
Heal All seems to be a favorite nectar plant; look for it in roadside ditches near wetlands.
The top and bottom photos were taken in the Sandhills Gamelands in Scotland Co., NC on April 20, 2003. The center photo was taken in Craven Co., NC on August 24, 2003.
