Simius Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes simius W. H. Edwards)
Wing span: 7/8 - 1 1/4 inches (2.2 - 3.2 cm).
Identification: Upperside varies from dark brown to orange-brown; fringes are pale; male forewing has a small stigma. Forewing of both sexes has small pale spots forming a complete postmedian band which angles outward near the cell. Underside is gray with orange in the center of the forewing; both wings have a complete row of small pale spots.
Life history: Males perch in the morning on top of small plateaus to wait for receptive females. Females deposit eggs singly under leaves of the host plant.
Flight: One brood from May-July in the north; several broods from April-August in the south.
Caterpillar hosts: Blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis).
Adult food: Nectar from a variety of flowers including Penstemon, Cirsium, and Verbena.
Habitat: Open pinyon-juniper woodland, shortgrass and mixed-grass prairie.
Range: Saskatchewan and Montana south through Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico to Arizona, Texas, and northern Mexico.
