The Dion Skipper is a rather large skipper that prefers wetlands. The field identification markings are seen on the underside of the hindwing: It is bright orange to reddish-orange with two distinctive pale rays extending down the wing’s length. The upper pale ray does not extend to the end of the wing. The upperside of the wings is dark brown around the edges, but with pale orange markings in the wing’s mid-section.

 

“Dion Skipper” by Roy Cohutta, licensed under (CC BY-SA 2.0)

 

Dion Skipper Facts

Butterfly Family: Skipper (Hesperiidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Hesperiinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 1 7/16 – 1 3/4 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Swamps, open marshes, and bogs

 

Dion Skipper Host and Nectar Plants

Host Plants:

• Woolgrass
• Hairy Sedge
• Shoreline Sedge

Nectar Plants:

• Nectar from various flowers
  • Buttonbush
  • Sneezeweed
  • Pickerelweed
  • Bee Balm
  • Swamp Milkweed