New Jersey Butterfly Club

Fiery Skipper

Hylephila phyleus

Identification: Very small—FW 0.6". Above: Male mainly orange on both wings. FW has prominent stigma pointing to a curvilinear dark patch that in turn points to a dark apex. Dark borders on trailing edges of both wings have jagged inner margins. Female appears more dark-brown above, with orange spots in the FW and orange spots and patches forming an arrow-shaped mark on the HW. Below: Male is bright orange with scattered small dark dots. Female much duller, with dark dots placed at the outer ends of pale markings on both wings. Similar skippers: None.

NJ Status and Distribution: Nonresident. Mainly a summer immigrant from the south, although its range may be creeping northward. Most common in southern counties and along the coast, but is now quite regular, usually in small numbers, inland and even in the northwest counties.

Habitat: Sunny, open areas, including disturbed places. Readily visits garden flowers where it likes to nectar at Butterfly Bush, Purpletop Verbena, and sedums.

Flight Period: Early July to late November but most seen in August through October. Extreme dates: North Jersey 7/3—11/26; South Jersey 6/12—12/5.

Caterpillar Food Plants: Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon), crabgrass (Digitaria).

Overwintering Stage: Unknown, but not known to overwinter in NJ.

Good Locations: White Lake, Duke Farms, Rutgers Display Gardens, Sandy Hook GNRA, Mercer Meadows, Cape May NWR, Higbee Beach WMA, Cape May Point Pavilion Circle gardens, Palmyra Cove Nature Park.