The Bell’s Roadside-Skipper butterfly is a dark skipper that is easy to overlook because it flies along the ground and is often confused with the Pepper and Salt Skipper. The markings seen along the wing fringes are checkered with black and cream colors. The underside of the wings is dark brown to black with many small white spots and grayish over scaling except at the wing apex. The upperside of the wings is black, with numerous tiny white spots on the forewing.
“Bell’s Roadside-Skipper” by Jim Arterburn, licensed by (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Bell’s Roadside-Skipper Facts
Butterfly Family: Skipper (Hesperiidae)
Butterfly Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Butterfly Wingspan: 1 3/16 – 1 1/4 inches
Butterfly Habitat: Grassy areas near creeks, in woodland openings and edges, and city gardens
Bell’s Roadside-Skipper Host and Nectar Plants
Host Plants:
- Indian Wood Oats Grass
- River Oat Grass
Nectar Plants:
- Nectar from various flowers
- Lantana
- Zinnia
- Red Clover
- Hoary Puccoon
- Abelia