Butterflies of North Carolina

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Scientific Name begins with:
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Once on a species account page, clicking on the "View PDF" link will show the flight data for that species, for each of the three regions of the state.
Other information, such as high counts and earliest/latest dates, can also been seen on the PDF page.

Related Species in HESPERIIDAE:
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Common Name

Fiery Skipper by Randy Newman => Fort Macon State Park, 2003-07-31
[View PDF]

Click to enlarge
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Scientific Name

Hylephila phyleus

Link to BAMONA species account.

Map

Click on a county for list of all database records for the species in that county.

Distribution

DISTRIBUTION: Statewide, found in all counties, but scarce in the northern Mountains (despite records from all such counties).

Abundance

ABUNDANCE: Increasing in the past several years. Very common to abundant in the Coastal Plain and in the eastern and southern Piedmont; generally common to very common in the central Piedmont. Fairly common in the western Piedmont and in the southern/central Mountains, but rare to uncommon in the northern Mountains.

Flight

FLIGHT PERIOD: Probably three broods. A small brood from April to early July, and likely two overlapping ones from early July to mid-November, rarely mid-December. The species does not become common until mid-June in NC. Some of the populations in NC might be migrants from farther south.

Habitat

HABITAT: This species likes sunny, hot places. It is widespread in weedy fields, pastures, meadows, open pine/scrub oak sandhills, roadsides, powerline clearings, savannas, and many other open country places. It is also one of the more common butterflies in gardens, lawns, and vacant lots.

See also Habitat Account for General Fields, Gardens, and Ruderal Habitats

Plants

FOOD AND NECTAR PLANTS: The foodplants are grass species, mostly weedy ones such as Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon) and crabgrass (Digitaria spp.). The species nectars on a great variety of flowers, mostly low-growing species such as clovers (Trifolium spp.), but also on blazing-stars (Liatris spp.) and many others. It often teems on Lantana (Lantana strigocamara) flowers in gardens and yards later in summer and fall.

Comments

COMMENTS: The Fiery Skipper is the most often encountered orange skipper in much of the state, especially in late summer and fall in the Coastal Plain and eastern Piedmont. It is often the most commonly seen butterfly in gardens, particularly in the Coastal Plain and eastern Piedmont. Hundreds can occasionally be seen nectaring on vervains (Verbena spp.) north of Pettigrew State Park in June. Too often, beginners -- especially yard butterfliers -- submit photos of skippers in their gardens to experts for identification; most of the photos turn out to be "just a Fiery Skipper".

State Rank

State Status

Global Rank

Federal Status

Synonym

Other Name

Links to other butterfly galleries: [Cook] [Lynch] [Pippen] [Pugh]
Photo Gallery for Fiery Skipper
	Photo by: Randy Newman Comment: Fort Macon State Park, Carteret Co.; 2003-June-07; male Fiery Skipper - Click to enlarge	Photo by: Randy Newman Comment: Fort Macon State Park, Carteret Co.; 2003-Oct-02; female Fiery Skipper - Click to enlarge
	Photo by: Scott Hartley Comment: Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve, Moore Co.; 2006-Oct-15; female Fiery Skipper - Click to enlarge	Photo by: Roger Rittmaster Comment: Durham Co.; male Fiery Skipper - Click to enlarge
	Photo by: Roger Rittmaster Comment: female, Durham Co. Fiery Skipper - Click to enlarge