The Tawny-Edged Skipper butterfly is a small skipper and is similar in size to the Peck’s Skipper The underside of the forewing is brown except for orange along the edge; the hindwing is olive to brown without markings. The upperside in males is olive-brown with a distinctive tawny-orange coloration along the margin of the forewing. The upperside of the female is dark brown with an orange costal margin and a band of yellow spots in the outer areas of the forewing.

 

“Tawny-edged Skipper” by Aaron Carlson, licensed under (CC BY-SA 2.0)

 

Tawny-edged Skipper Facts

Butterfly Family: Skipper (Hesperiidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Hesperiinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 7/8 – 1 7/16 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Moist grassy areas including prairie swales, pastures, lawns, roadsides, and vacant lots

 

Tawny-edged Skipper Host and Nectar Plants

Host Plants:

• Panic Grass
• Slender Crabgrass
• Kentucky Blue Grass
• Manna Grass
• Needleleaf Rosette Grass
• Centipede Grass

Nectar Plants:

• Nectar from various flowers
  • Red Clover
  • Alfalfa
  • Dogbane
  • Purple Coneflower
  • Tennessee Coneflower
  • Fall Phlox
  • Thistles
  • Chicory
  • Blazing Star
  • Whorled Milkweed
  • Bee Balm
  • White Clover
  • Lantana
  • Meadow Sage