The Dun Skipper is a wide-ranging skipper, being found across southern Canada east of the Rockies and south to the Gulf coast and east Texas. The upperside of the forewing in the male is brownish-black except for the black stigma, while the same wing in the female is also brownish-black, but with three or four small translucent spots. The underside of the male forewing is brownish-black without any markings, while the same wing in the female is brownish with a band of three or four squarish, whitish spots in the upper one-half of the postmedian area. The upperside of the head and thorax has a yellowish-orange to yellowish-green sheen.

 

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Dun Skipper Facts

Butterfly Family: Skipper (Hesperiidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Hesperiinae

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

Butterfly Habitat: Wet areas near deciduous woods such as meadows, seeps, swamp edges, and streams

 

Dun Skipper Host and Nectar Plants

Host Plants:

• Shortbeak Sedge
• Graceful Sedge
• Hop Sedge
• Hairy Sedge

Nectar Plants:

• Nectar from various flowers
  • Common Milkweed
  • Swamp Milkweed
  • Purple Vetch
  • Dogbane
  • Peppermint
  • New Jersey Tea
  • Ironweed
  • Joe-Pye Weed
  • Purple Coneflower
  • Lobelia