Plains Skipper (Hesperia assiniboia [Lyman])
Wing span: 13/16 - 1 1/4 inches (2.1 - 3.0 cm).
Identification: Antennae relatively long. Wing fringes white or pale. Upperside with tawny areas reduced giving dark appearance. On underside of hindwing chevron of small separate white or yellowish spots, often grouped. Spots sometimes absent.
Life history: To await receptive females, males perch near the host plant or on ridges. Females scatter eggs on or near the host; caterpillars eat leaves and live in nests of tied leaves. Eggs overwinter.
Flight: One flight from late June to early September.
Caterpillar hosts: Various grasses and possibly sedges.
Adult food: Nectar from many flowers including asters, goldenrods, and blazing star.
Habitat: Native short- or mid-grass prairies and aspen parkland.
Range: Southern Canadian prairie provinces and northern plains states.
