The Southern Broken Dash is found in the southeastern United States, west to Texas, and south through Mexico, Central America, and into Argentina. It also occurs in the West Indies.

The uppersides of the wings are brown with orange patches, larger on the male forewing and smaller on the female. On the male forewing, a broken black stigma is divided into two parts, separated by a squarish coppery brown patch, giving the species its name, “broken dash.”

The underside of the male hindwing is rusty red to rusty orange, marked with a pale band that often forms the shape of a three or a curved vertical semicircle. The female is similarly patterned but generally darker. The male antennae are orange and black.

 

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Southern Broken-Dash Facts

Butterfly Family: Skipper (Hesperiidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Hesperiinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 1 – 1 3/8 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Openings near wooded rivers or swamps

 

🪴 Host Plants

These are the native grasses where females lay eggs and caterpillars feed:

• Crabgrass (Digitaria spp.)

• Thin Paspalum (Paspalum setaceum)

 

🌸 Nectar Plants

Adult Southern Broken-Dashes feed on nectar from the following native flowers:

• Blazing Star (Liatris spp.)

• Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

• Dogbane (Apocynum spp.)

• Ironweed (Vernonia spp.)

• Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium spp.)

• Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)

• Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)

• Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia)

• Thistles (Cirsium spp.)