Nevada Skipper
(Hesperia nevada)
Grass Skippers
Appearance: Above, reddish-orange with thick brown borders poorly defined and some large pale spots. Below, hindwing of both sexes is olive-green to gray-green with an irregular band of white spots sometimes outwardly edged in black; the lower spot may be offset inward.
Wingspan: Small; 1 1/8 to 1 1/2 inches.
Habitat: Mountain grasslands and meadows; foothills, montane.
Flight Times: Late May to early August depending upon elevation; one brood. Caterpillars overwinter in partially-buried shelters.
Larval Foodplant: Grasses.
Did You Know…
Males of some butterflies look for mates by flying up to the top of a hill and waiting for the females to appear. This behavior is called hilltopping and is sometimes an easier way to find a mate than scouring the countryside. Caterpillars live in silken tubes at the base of grass clumps and feed on grass leaves nearby.
