Rare Skipper

The rare skipper is a medium sized butterfly in the family Hesperiidae (skippers). Its wingspan is 1½ to 2⅛ inches (3.9 to 5.4 cm). The uppersides of both wings are yelloworange with a black margin, which is wider on females. The undersides of the wings are yellow-orange on the forewing and yellow on the hindwing.

The rare skipper is well named: apart from the New Jersey side of the Delaware Bay, it is rare throughout its limited range. Scattered populations can be found in brackish river marshes and abandoned rice paddies along the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to Georgia. Little is known of the life history of this butterfly. Threats are not documented, but it is probable that spraying for mosquito control is a potential threat in marsh areas, as are development and recreation activities.


Scattered populations can be found along the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to Georgia. It is known from less than two-dozen locations despite more than a century and a half of searching by lepidopterists. 

Posted in: Hesperiidae,R,Rare Skipper