The Skipper butterfly (family Hesperiidae) gets its name from its fast, darting flight. With over 3,500 recognized species divided into eight families, skippers are considered an intermediate form between butterflies and moths.

Forty-seven species of skippers are found in Tennessee. Click the links below to explore photos, facts, and lists of host and nectar plants for each species.

 

Long-tailed & Silver-spotted Skippers:

• Golden Banded-Skipper (Autochton cellus)
• Hoary Edge (Achalarus lyciades)
• Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus)
• Sliver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)

 

Cloudywings:

• Confused Cloudywing (Thorbes confusis)
• Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)
• Southern Cloudywing (Thorybes bathyllus)

 

Duskywings:

• Dreamy Duskywing (Erynnis icelus)
• Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)
• Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
• Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis)
• Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis)
• Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo)
• Wild Indigo Duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae)
• Zarucco Duskywing (Erynnis zarucco)
• Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)

 

Scallopwing & Checkered-Skipper:

• Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)
• Hayhurst’s Scallopwing (Staphylus hayhurstii)

 

Hesperia Skippers:

• Cobweb Skipper (Hesperia metea)
• Leonard’s Skipper (Hesperia leonardus)

 

Roadside-Skippers:

• Bell’s Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes bellis)
• Common Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis)
• Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes aesculapius)
• Pepper and Salt Skipper (Amblyscirtes hegon)

 

Small Field Skippers:

• Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius)
• Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan)
• Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus)
• Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor)
• Sachem (Atalopedes campestris)
• Swarthy Skipper (Nastra lherminier)

 

Polites & Broken-dashes:

• Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes)
• Little Glassywing (Pompeius verna)
• Northern Broken-Dash (Wallegrenia egeremet)
• Peck’s Skipper (Polites peckius)
• Southern Broken-Dash (Wallegrenia otho)
• Tawny-edged Skipper (Polites themistocles)

 

Poanes Skippers:

• Broad-winged Skipper (Poanes viator)
• Hobomok Skipper (Poanes hobomok)
• Yehl Skipper (Poanes yehl)
• Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon)

 

Euphyes & Dusted Skippers:

• Dion Skipper (Euphyes dion)
• Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris)
• Dusted Skipper (Atrytonopsis hianna)

 

Southern & Migrant Skippers:

• Brazilian Skipper (Calpodes ethlius)
• Eufala Skipper (Lerodea eufala)
• Ocola Skipper (Panoquina ocola)

 

Giant-Skipper:

• Yucca Giant-Skipper (Megathymus yuccae)