The Southern Broken-Dash butterfly is found in the southeastern United States west to Texas and southward through Mexico, Central America, and into Argentina. It also is found in the West Indies. The uppersides of the wings are brown with orange patches on the male forewing and smaller, orange patches on the female. The upperside of the forewing in the male also has a black stigma that is broken into two-parts (hence the name, “broken-dash”) with a squarish, coppery-brown patch separating them. The underside of the male hindwing is rusty-red to rusty-orange with a band of pale spots forming a “3”, or a vertical curved semi-circle “) “. The female is similarly colored but 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

 

Southern Broken-Dash Host and Nectar Plants

Host Plants:

• St. Augustine Grass
• Paspalum Grass

Nectar Plants:

• Nectar from various flowers
  • Sweet Pepperbush
  • Pickerelweed
  • White Clover
  • Vetch
  • Bush Clover
  • Thistle