The Lace Winged Roadside Skipper has a distinctive appearance that makes it unlikely to be confused with any other skipper. The underside of the hindwing is dark brown with striking white veins crisscrossed by white bands, creating a complex, lace-like pattern. The underside of the forewing features a white band that adds to this intricate design.

The upperside of the hindwing is brown, while the forewing displays an arc of white spots forming a curved white band across the central portion of the wing. The outer wing margins are edged with checkered fringes made up of dark brown and white squares.

 

“Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper” by Pondhawk, licensed under (CC BY 2.0)

 

Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper Facts

Butterfly Family: Skipper (Hesperiidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Hesperiinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 1 3/16 – 1 1/2 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Moist, dense woods with cane growth

 

🪴 Host Plants

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

• Giant Cane (Arundinaria gigantea)

• Switch Cane (Arundinaria tecta)

 

🌸 Nectar Plants

Adult Lace-winged Roadside-Skippers feed on nectar from the following native flowers:

• Bee Balm (Monarda spp.)

• Blackberry (Rubus spp.)

• Dogbane (Apocynum spp.)

• Elephant’s Foot (Elephantopus spp.)

• Ironweed (Vernonia spp.)

• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

• Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris)

• Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia)

• Tall Bellflower (Campanula americana)