New Jersey Butterfly Club

Northern Broken-Dash

Wallengrenia egeremet

Identification: Very small—FW ≥0.6". Sexes similar below. Above: Male FW mainly dark brown but with dull orange-yellow on leading edge. Dark stigma is separated ("broken") into a dotlike segment near the body followed by dashlike segment (this may be hard to see!), and a small, rectangular orange spot extends from outer end of stigma. Female FW is overall dark brown, sometimes with a tawny leading edge, and includes 2-3 yellowish "bracelet" spots" toward wingtip and 2 or 3 conspicuous yellowish spots in center of wing. In both sexes HW is brown with vague, paler center. Below: Both wings dull yellowish brown, HW with a fairly broad band of pale postmedian spots often in the shape of a "3." Similar skippers: Southern Broken-Dash is bright reddish-brown below and leading edge of FW above is bright orange. Dun Skipper and Little Glassywing are darker brown below; Dun male usually lacks HW spotband; female's band is of tiny spots, and spotband on Little Glassywing is an uneven crescent of small spots, not in shape of a "3." Black Dash is reddish-brown below with a broad, central pale patch.

NJ Status and Distribution: Resident. Widespread and fairly common, rather local on the Coastal Plain.

Habitat: Open grassy areas, often near woodlands.

Flight Period: Mid-June to late September, peaking from mid-June to early August. Extreme dates: North Jersey 5/27—10/11; South Jersey 6/6—10/17.

Caterpillar Food Plants: Taller-growing panic grasses—e.g., Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum).

Overwintering Stage: Middle-instar caterpillar.

Good Locations: Wildcat Ridge WMA, Kittatinny Valley SP, Lord Stirling Park, Troy Meadows, Tatum Park, Big Brook Park, Mercer Meadows CP, Tall Pines State Preserve, Riverwinds Scenic Trail.

Comments: Dun Skipper, Little Glassywing, and Northern Broken-Dash are called the "3 witches"—3 small, dark, difficult-to-separate skippers that fly at the same time in similar habitats.