The Pepper and Salt Skipper butterfly is a dark brown skipper. It is easy to identify from the underside because the ground coloration of the wings actually looks as if it was sprinkled with minute grains of salt and pepper. Both wings on the underside contain several white spots on the basal and medial areas and a band of post-medial white spots. Checker squares of brown and white line the wing fringes. The upperside is dark reddish brown with a band of small white spots on the forewing.

 

“Pepper and Salt Skipper” by Tom Murray, licensed under (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

 

Pepper and Salt Skipper Facts

Butterfly Family: Skipper (Hesperiidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Hesperiinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 1 – 1 3/16 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Near streams in forest glades and edges

 

Pepper and Salt Skipper Host and Nectar Plants

Host Plants:

• Indian Grass
• Indian Wood Oats Grass
• Kentucky Blue Grass
• River Oat Grass
• Fowl Manna Grass

Nectar Plants:

• Nectar from various flowers
  • Blackberry
  • Viburnum
  • Wild Geranium
  • Sunnybells
  • Miami Mist