The Little Glassywing is a medium-sized skipper with dark, blackish brown wings. It is marked by whitish, translucent spots on both the upper and lower sides of the forewing. The underside of the hindwing often shows a faint row of pale spots and sometimes has a subtle purplish sheen.

Males and females are similarly colored, with one key difference: the largest central spot just below the end of the black stigma is elongated in males, while the same spot is square in females. Both sexes also have a distinctive white patch located just below the antennal club. The wing fringes are a soft buff color.

 

“Little Glassywing” by Pondhawk, licensed under (CC BY 2.0)

 

Little Glassywing Facts

Butterfly Family: Skipper (Hesperiidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Hesperiinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 1 1/16 – 1 1/2 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Moist places near shaded wood edges

 

🪴 Host Plants

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

• Purpletop (Tridens flavus)

 

🌸 Nectar Plants

Adult Little Glassywings feed on nectar from the following native flowers:

• Blazing Star (Liatris spp.)

• Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)

• Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

• Dogbane (Apocynum spp.)

• Ironweed (Vernonia spp.)

• Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium spp.)

• Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum spp.)

• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

• Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

• Wild Indigo (Baptisia spp.)