The Yucca Giant-Skipper is a medium-sized butterfly with a stout, robust body. Females are slightly larger than males. Males have long, pointed forewings, while females have broader, more rounded forewings. The wings are dark brown to black. The underside of the forewing features two rows of small white spots near the apex and a row of bright yellow spots in the submarginal to marginal areas.

Females may display an additional band of spots along the wing margin. The dorsal side of the forewing has a bright yellow, rounded cell spot and a straight band of yellow submarginal spots near the apex. The hindwing underside is black with a marginal frosting of violet-white and a bold white spot along the upper margin. The upperside of the hindwing is black with a yellow border. The antennal clubs are bent near the tips.

 

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Yucca Giant-Skipper Facts

Butterfly Family: Skipper (Hesperiidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Hesperiinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 1 7/8 – 3 1/8 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Coastal dunes, open yucca flats, desert canyons, open woodland, grassland, and old fields

 

🪴 Host Plants

These are the plants where females lay eggs and caterpillars feed:

• Adam’s Needle (Yucca filamentosa)

• Spanish Bayonet (Yucca aloifolia)

 

🌸 Feeding behavior

The Yucca Giant Skipper does not feed on nectar. It lives off stored fats accumulated during the larval stage.
Males may occasionally take moisture from mud (a behavior known as mud-puddling).