Butterflies of North Carolina

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Scientific Name begins with:
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Once on a species account page, clicking on the "View PDF" link will show the flight data for that species, for each of the three regions of the state.
Other information, such as high counts and earliest/latest dates, can also been seen on the PDF page.

Related Species in HESPERIIDAE:
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Common Name

Dun Skipper by Roger Rittmaster => Durham Co.
[View PDF]

Click to enlarge
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Scientific Name

Euphyes vestris

Link to BAMONA species account.

Map

Click on a county for list of all database records for the species in that county.

Distribution

DISTRIBUTION: Statewide; found in all three provinces and undoubtedly occurs in all 100 counties.

Abundance

ABUNDANCE: Fairly common and widespread over most of the state, with abundance levels not overly different among the provinces. In fact, for a Euphyes skipper, it is quite "common" and one of the more frequently encountered small brown skippers, though seldom more than one or two at any given locale. This is a common and widespread species to our north, but it is somewhat less numerous in NC than in states to our north.

Flight

FLIGHT PERIOD: Two broods, which are quite extended in time relative to other Euphyes skippers. Downstate, early or mid-May to early or mid-July, and mid-July to mid-October, very rarely to early November. Though there are certainly two broods in the Mountains, there is no dip in the records in the middle of the flight chart and thus it is impossible to be sure when the first brood ends and the second begins. At any rate, the skipper is on the wing in the Mountains from mid-May to late September, rarely into October.

Habitat

HABITAT: This is a species of a very wide range of habitats, but as with other Euphyes, it favors wetlands. It is found along moist woodland borders, ditches, roads and trails through damp woods, and powerline clearings, especially where damp. However, it also ranges into upland brushy areas such as weedy fields and even in gardens. Surprisingly, it is scarce in savannas and slightly brackish marshes; near the coast it is most often found in ditches and edges of moist woods.

See also Habitat Account for General Sedge, Grass, and Rush Mires

Plants

FOOD AND NECTAR PLANTS: Various sedges, not only Carex species but also Scirpus species, are used by caterpillars. Adults nectar on many flowers, with no species predominating. However, males commonly take minerals and moisture from dirt roads.

Comments

COMMENTS: The Dun Skipper can be easily confused with the Little Glassywing and the Northern Broken-dash, if not also with Swarthy Skipper and others. I usually see no more one to three Dun Skippers in a day of searching, but I see it on many to most days afield at the appropriate season and in the appropriate habitats.

State Rank

State Status

Global Rank

Federal Status

Synonym

Other Name

Links to other butterfly galleries: [Cook] [Lynch] [Pippen] [Pugh]
Photo Gallery for Dun Skipper
	Photo by: Randy Newman Comment: Fort Macon State Park, Carteret Co.; 2003-July-13 Dun Skipper - Click to enlarge	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Comment: Aug 3, 2014. Mecklenburg Co. Dun Skipper - Click to enlarge
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Comment: Aug 2, 2014. Mecklenburg Co., Cowans Ford Wildlife Refuge; male Dun Skipper - Click to enlarge	Photo by: W. Cook Comment: male, Orange Co.; 1-June-2002. Dun Skipper - Click to enlarge
	Photo by: Jeff Pippen Comment: Male. Duke Forest, Orange Co.; 6 June 2004 Dun Skipper - Click to enlarge	Photo by: Chris Talkington Comment: Mecklenburg County; 1-Sep-2013; female Dun Skipper - Click to enlarge
	Photo by: Tom Sanders Comment: Mecklenburg Co., 2010-Aug - not fresh Dun Skipper - Click to enlarge