Southern Skipperling (Copaeodes minimus [W. H. Edwards])
Wing span: 5/8 - 7/8 inches (1.6 - 2.2 cm).
Identification: The smallest North American skipper. Wings are pale orange both above and below. Upperside of male forewing has a narrow, short black stigma; female forewing may have narrow black edging. Underside of the hindwing has a white stripe running from the base to the outer margin.
Life history: Not reported.
Flight: Two broods from March-October in Louisiana; all year in Florida.
Caterpillar hosts: Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon).
Adult food: Nectar from flowers such as fine-leaved sneezeweed (Helenium tenuifolium).
Habitat: Grassy places, open fields, flats.
Range: Arkansas east to North Carolina; south through Florida, the Gulf states, Texas, Arizona, and Mexico to Panama.
