A POCKET GUIDE TO

Common KansasButterflies

By Jim Mason

Funded by Westar Energy Green Team, Glenn Springs Holdings, Inc.,

Occidental Chemical Corporationand the Chickadee Checkoff

Published by the Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center

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Table of Contents• Introduction • 2• Butterflies vs. Moths • 4• Observing Butterflies • 4

Family Papilionidae - Swallowtails ■ Pipevine Swallowtail • 6■ Zebra Swallowtail • 7■ Black Swallowtail • 8■ Giant Swallowtail • 9■ Eastern Tiger Swallowtail • 10

Family Pieridae – Whites & Sulphurs ■ Checkered White • 11■ Cabbage White • 12■ Clouded Sulphur • 13■ Orange Sulphur • 14■ Cloudless Sulphur • 15■ Sleepy Orange • 16■ Little Yellow • 17■ Dainty Sulphur • 18■ Southern Dogface • 19

Family Lycaenidae – Gossamer-Wings■ Gray Copper • 20■ Bronze Copper • 21■ Coral Hairstreak • 22■ Gray Hairstreak • 23■ Juniper Hairstreak • 24■ Reakirts' Blue • 25■ Eastern Tailed-Blue • 26■ Spring Azure and Summer Azure • 27

Family Nymphalidae – Brushfoots ■ American Snout • 28■ Variegated Fritillary • 29■ Great Spangled Fritillary • 30■ Regal Fritillary • 31■ Gorgone Checkerspot • 32■ Silvery Checkerspot • 33■ Phaon Crescent • 34■ Pearl Crescent • 35■ Question Mark • 36

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■ Eastern Comma • 37■ Mourning Cloak • 38■ American Lady • 39■ Painted Lady • 40■ Red Admiral • 41■ Common Buckeye • 42■ Red-spotted Purple • 43■ Viceroy • 44■ Goatweed Leafwing • 45■ Hackberry Emperor • 46■ Tawny Emperor • 47■ Little Wood Satyr • 48■ Common Wood Nymph • 49■ Monarch • 50

Family Hesperiidae – Skippers ■ Silver-spotted Skipper • 51■ Southern Cloudywing • 52■ Hayhurst's Scallopwing • 53■ Funereal Duskywing • 54■ Wild Indigo Duskywing • 55■ Common Checkered-Skipper • 56■ Common Sootywing • 57■ Least Skipper • 58■ Fiery Skipper • 59■ Ottoe Skipper • 60■ Sachem • 61■ Arogos Skipper • 62■ Delaware Skipper • 63■ Zabulon Skipper • 64■ Nysa Roadside-Skipper • 65■ Common Roadside-Skipper • 66

• List of Suggested Books • 67

• List of Internet Resources • 67

• Acknowledgements • 68

• Pocket Guides • 69

Eggs, larva andchrysalis of BlackSwallowtail

Cover Photo:Regal Fritillary

©Bob Gress

©Greg Sievert

2

IntroductionInsects are the most numerous and successful

group of organisms on Earth, but most of them lack a“fan base.” In fact, many are downright despised bypeople! However, butterflies are a type of insect thatmost people find appealing. Their beautiful colors,close association with flowers, intriguing behaviors -and their inability to bite us - combine to make themambassadors, of sorts, for their six-legged kin.

This pocket guide covers 61 of the more commonand interesting species of the 190 species of butterfliesrecorded within Kansas’ borders. If you come across abutterfly that does not quite look like what is shownhere, it may well be a different species. A list ofcomprehensive butterfly references is in the back of thisguide. Each species account includes the following:

Range: Delineates the part of Kansas where youare likely to see the species. Many elected for thispocket guide have been found statewide, but the strongprairie winds can blow these small creatures intoatypical locations. The complete state list includes over70 erratics, which may show up after weather eventslike hurricanes that come inland and sweep upnormally tropical species and drop them here. Underordinary conditions though, most butterflies willreside in the habitat where their caterpillar host plantis found, which is always good to keep in mind whentrying to make an identification.

Wingspan: Gives the width from tip to tip whenthe wings are held out flat. It is given as a rangerather than a fixed dimension. Adult size is

determined by how well the caterpillar eats, along withother factors. Butterflies do most of their eating ascaterpillars, which may be 3,000 times their birthweight before pupation! But some individualcaterpillars don’t get to eat as much as others, thus thevariance in wingspan. Size range is still an importantclue when identifying butterflies. For instance, if youspot a mostly orange and black butterfly whosewingspan is less than 2.3”, it is probably not aMonarch.

Flight Time: Tells when you are likely to seeadults of that species. Many butterflies are seen asadults only during a limited time span. Others fly fora longer span during the year or may have multiplegenerations in a year. Widely-distributed species willoften fly earlier or later in the season in the southernor eastern part of Kansas.

Host Plant: Lists some or all of the plants usedfor food by the caterpillars. An adult butterfly’s mouthis a long, thin tubular structure called a probosciswhich is used to sip liquid foods, such as flower nectar.A caterpillar, however, has chewing mouthparts andeats vegetation, usually from only a few plant speciesknown as its host plant.

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Regal Fritillaries on Butterfly Milkweed

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Butterflies vs. MothsThe easiest way to tell a butterfly from a moth is

to look at the antennae. Each butterfly antenna ends inan enlarged structure called a club. Moth antennaemay be pointed or feathery-looking but never have aclub on the end. There are some day-flying moths andsome that are quite colorful, so neither activity periodnor colorful appearance is adequate to distinguishmoths from butterflies.

Observing ButterfliesButterfly watching is best done with a pair of

close-focusing binoculars. Most binocular makers offermodels with close-focusing capability, but whenchoosing a pair make sure you test them out beforebuying. If you can look through them and focus onyour shoelaces, that is a good standard to go by. Withthis special tool, you can stay outside a butterfly’sdiscomfort zone and observe it without scaring itaway. This will open up a whole world of behavior youwould otherwise never witness. The binoculars willalso allow you to appreciate many details of the insectsand flowers they visit you may have overlooked before.

A butterfly is most vividly colored right after ithas come out of its chrysalis. Such individuals arereferred to as “fresh.” Over the few short days orweeks of its adult life those colors will fade and thewings may become damaged by storms, accidents ornarrow escapes from predators. This can make afamiliar species appear to be something else.

When butterflies gather to sip from damp spots onthe ground for the moisture and/or minerals present,this is called “puddling.” Some species will navigateto the highest point in their landscape as a way tomeet each other. This is called “hill-topping.” Femalesof some species will lead the males in a barnstormingrace across the landscape, perhaps as a way to testtheir fitness as mates.

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A butterfly develops through four stages of growthduring its life - a process called completemetamorphosis. It starts from an egg, which hatchesinto a caterpillar. Caterpillars have five growth stages,called instars. Each instar may look different from theothers, depending on the species. The third growthstage is the chrysalis, from which emerges the wingedadult, a butterfly.

Skippers are the most numerous butterfly familyin Kansas, with 63 different species. Many are difficultto distinguish in the field. They are the “little brownbirds” of the butterfly watching world! Not only arethey small, most of them have very subtle variances intheir marks and similar orange/tan/yellow coloration.In addition, some are sexually dimorphic (differentmale and female forms). Common to all is a small hair-like extension of the antennal club known as theapiculus, which easily identifies the insect as a skipperof some sort, even if you cannot pin down the exactspecies. This pocket guide only covers 16 of the Kansasskippers. Serious butterfly watchers who want tomaster identification of the skippers are stronglyencouraged to obtain one of the comprehensivebutterfly guides listed on page 67.

While watching butterflies, don’t pass upopportunities to observe other flower visitors you mayencounter. Some may be seeking food from the plants(bees, flies and other pollinating insects) and somemay be predators (crab spiders and assassin bugs). Themicro-world of insects is a fascinating place to explore!

Gray Copper on Daisy Fleabane

©B

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Pipevine SwallowtailBattus philenor

R a n g e : Southeast 1/4W i n g s p a n : 2.7 – 4"F l i g h t T i m e s : Multiple flights, April – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : Pipevines (Aristolochia sp.) Larvae feed

gregariously.C o m m e n t s : The Pipevine Swallowtail sets the

standard for bad taste in large, dark butterflies inKansas. Their caterpillars sequester chemicals fromthe pipevine host plant that make them noxious tobirds. Other dark swallowtails and the Red-spottedPurple mimic this coloration to give them someprotection from predation by birds. The PipevineSwallowtail, however, has a single peripheral rowof large orange spots on the under hindwing,whereas the mimics have either two rows and/oradditional spots near the body. The bright orangeeggs are laid in groups.

■ Pipevine Swallowtail

©Betsy Betros

©Betsy Betros

©Greg Sievert

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Zebra SwallowtailEurytides marcellus

R a n g e : Southeast 1/4W i n g s p a n : 1.9 – 3"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2-3 flights, March – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : Pawpaw (Asimina triloba).C o m m e n t s : The Zebra Swallowtail cannot be

confused with any other local species, but there isvariance in size and subtle differences between thespring and summer forms. Spring forms haveshorter tails and two red spots on each hindwingrather than one. The range of this gorgeousswallowtail is limited by its extreme host plantspecificity. Their caterpillars feed solely on thefoliage of pawpaw trees, an understory tree foundin eastern woodlands. In Kansas, that tree is foundonly in the southeast. In good light, notice the“white” stripes actually have a bluish tint. Flight isusually only a few feet above the ground. Groupsof Zebras can sometimes be found puddling atmuddy spots near streams.

■ Zebra Swallowtail

©Greg Sievert

©Greg Sievert

©Greg Sievert

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Black SwallowtailPapilio polyxenes

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 2.7 – 4"F l i g h t T i m e s : Multiple flights, May – NovemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various species in the Carrot FamilyC o m m e n t s : This species is sexually dimorphic

(different male and female forms). The spots in theinner row on the upper forewing of males are muchlarger than those of females, and females have alarge area of blue blush on their upper hindwings.This is the most commonly encounteredswallowtail in Kansas, due in no small part to ourwidespread planting of host plants in gardens andhome landscapes. One can still have dill for theherb shelf and carrots for the table, and yet alsoraise Black Swallowtail caterpillars, by planting arow of fennel and moving any caterpillars thatshow up on the dill or carrots to the fennel. Photosof the eggs, larva and chrysalis are on the indexpages of this Pocket Guide.

■ Black Swallowtail

©Thane Rogers

©Betsy Betros

©Larry Armstrong

female

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Giant SwallowtailPapilio cresphontes

R a n g e : East 1/2W i n g s p a n : 3.7 – 5.5"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights, April – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : Various species in the Citrus FamilyC o m m e n t s : The Giant Swallowtail is seen in Kansas

either as a southern stray or in association with itslocal host plant, prickly ash (Zanthoxylumamericanum), a thicket-forming shrub found ineastern woodlands. This butterfly is considered anagricultural pest in Florida because it uses citrustrees for host plants. It is easily recognized by itsvery large size and the wide, yellow stripe that iscontinuous across both upper forewings. Allswallowtail caterpillars have bright red or orange“horns” they can pop out of their foreheads whenalarmed. This structure, called an osmeterium, is anintriguing defensive mechanism which, in additionto its startling, sudden appearance, releases adistinctive odor.

■ Giant Swallowtail

©Betsy Betros

©Thane Rogers

©Betsy Betros

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Eastern Tiger SwallowtailPapilio glaucus

R a n g e : East 2/3W i n g s p a n : 2.5 – 4.5"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights, March – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : Various trees, including ash, cherry

and appleC o m m e n t s : The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is fond of

flying high in trees, where the female lays her eggs onleaves in the upper branches. It is a spectacular visualtreat when one comes down to eye level to sip nectarat flowers. Groups may be seen puddling on dampground. Some females are not yellow but nearlyblack; however, in good light the tiger stripes can stillbe faintly seen. Dark form females are easilydistinguished from other species by their large sizeand absence of white spots on the abdomen. Like allof Kansas’ swallowtails, it overwinters in a distinctivechrysalis which is reminiscent of a lineman workingon a telephone pole. The chrysalis is attached by thetip of the tail to any solid object with the head end up,and leans at an angle away from that object,suspended by a silk “lineman’s belt.”

■ Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

©Betsy Betros

©Betsy Betros

©Greg Sievert

female

dark form female

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Checkered WhitePontia protodice

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.2 – 1.8"F l i g h t T i m e s : Multiple flights, March – NovemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various species in the Mustard FamilyC o m m e n t s : The Checkered White is a native species

and more commonly uses weedy plants for hostplants than the introduced Cabbage White. It hasmore dark markings on it, top and bottom, than theuniformly plain Cabbage White and has prominentstreaking on the under hindwings.

■ Checkered White

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©Mark Neubrand

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Cabbage WhitePieris rapae

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.2 – 1.8"F l i g h t T i m e s : Multiple flights, February –

NovemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various species in the Mustard FamilyC o m m e n t s : The Cabbage White has a plain yellow

under hindwing and only a few dark marks on thewings, in contrast to the “checkered” CheckeredWhite. Also notice the dark upper forewing tip.Males have only one upper forewing spot, whilefemales have two. The Cabbage White wasintroduced from Europe during the 19th century andrapidly spread across the continent. It may becomea garden pest locally and is occasionally seen inopen plant nurseries during winter.

■ Cabbage White

©Betsy Betros

©Betsy Betros

©Greg Sievert

male and female

male

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Clouded SulphurColias philodice

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.1 – 2.1"F l i g h t T i m e s : Multiple flights, March – DecemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various species in the Legume FamilyC o m m e n t s : This is Kansas’ most common yellow

butterfly. Fresh individuals have a thin pinkishfringe on the wings. Clouded Sulphurs do not haveany orange on the upperwings, while OrangeSulphurs typically do. Identification can be achallenge, though, because Clouded Sulphursinterbreed with Orange Sulphurs, with confusingresults for the butterfly watcher. White formfemales are not uncommon, and may be separatedfrom other white butterflies by the dark outer wingedges. Summer individuals are larger than thoseseen in spring or fall.

■ Clouded Sulphur

©Greg Sievert©

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Orange SulphurColias eurytheme

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.3 – 2.3"F l i g h t T i m e s : Multiple flights, March – DecemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various species in the Legume FamilyC o m m e n t s : This species is also known as the alfalfa

butterfly, because alfalfa is both a nectar plant and apreferred host plant. It is slightly larger than theSleepy Orange with more diffuse markings on theunderwings and its flight is more leisurely. Thesmall dark mark on the upper forewing is roundedinto an oblong dot in both the Orange and Cloudedsulphurs. The Orange Sulphur interbreeds with theClouded Sulphur, and hybrids are often seen insummer. White form Orange Sulphur females lookmuch like white form Clouded Sulphurs.

■ Orange Sulphur

©Linda Williams

©Greg Sievert

©Greg Sievert

female

male

female

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Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.8 – 2.7"F l i g h t T i m e s : Multiple flights, July – DecemberH o s t P l a n t s : Wild Senna, Partridge Pea and related

legumesC o m m e n t s : Cloudless Sulphurs re-colonize Kansas

each year from resident populations in the southernU. S.. Individuals begin showing up in Kansas inmid-summer. It is noticeably larger than otheryellow butterflies seen in Kansas, and the color ofthe wings appears much lighter and brighter. Themale upperwings are usually unmarked and lightyellow, while the females have a row of small darkspots on the edge. Females will have several darkmarks on their underwings and some are white,nearly greenish below. The flight is rapid anddirect, usually at eye level or higher.

■ Cloudless Sulphur©Greg Sievert

©Betsy Betros

male ©Jim Mason

male

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Sleepy OrangeAbaeis nicippe

R a n g e : Statewide except northwest cornerW i n g s p a n : 1.1 – 1.9"F l i g h t T i m e s : 3 flights, May – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : Wild Senna and Partridge PeaC o m m e n t s : The Sleepy Orange is slightly smaller

than an Orange Sulphur. Note the absence of eyespots on the underwings. The small dark spot inthe center of the upper forewing is linear ratherthan rounded, suggesting a closed or “sleepy” eyeinstead of an open one. This “sleepy” eye is visiblefrom below only when the wings are held slightlyspread; appearing as a short, black dash in thecenter of the forewing. The fall form of the SleepyOrange has darker mottling on the underhindwing. An alarmed individual will fly rapidlyand erratically toward cover.

©Betsy Betros

■ Sleepy Orange

©Jim Mason

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chrysalis

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Little YellowPyrisitia lisa

R a n g e : East 2/3W i n g s p a n : 1.1 – 1.7"F l i g h t T i m e s : Multiple flights, May – NovemberH o s t P l a n t s : Wild Senna and Partridge PeaC o m m e n t s : The Little Yellow is most easily

recognized by its small size. The bright, unmarkedyellow of the upperside with black outer margins isdistinctive when seen in flight. It generally percheswith its wings closed, as do all sulphurs. Theunderside is greenish-yellow with various spots,like larger sulphurs. It is usually seen flying close tothe ground in open areas.

■ Little Yellow

©Jim Mason©

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Dainty SulphurNathalis iole

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 0.7 – 1.3"F l i g h t T i m e s : Multiple flights, April – NovemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various species in the Aster FamilyC o m m e n t s : Kansas’ smallest sulphur, the Dainty is

often found flying low to the ground in barrenvacant lots where its weedy host plants (especiallynative marigolds) are common. The wide, mid-wing black line on the upperside is a good fieldmark noticeable only in flight since they perch withtheir wings held closed. They may be observedvery late in the season when winter is slow incoming.

©Betsy Betros

male

■ Dainty Sulphur

©Greg Sievert

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Southern DogfaceZerene cesonia

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.7 – 2.5"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights, March – NovemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various species in the Legume FamilyC o m m e n t s : The Southern Dogface is an uncommon

migrant in Kansas. It is larger than Orange orClouded sulphurs and is a brighter yellow abovewith a slightly hooked forewing tip. Males havesolid black forewing tips while females have lightsplotches in theirs. The “dog face” is on the upperforewing and may be seen on perched individualswhen the wings are held slightly open.

■ Southern Dogface

©Jim Mason©

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Gray CopperLycaena dione

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.2 – 1.7"F l i g h t T i m e s : 1 flight, May – JulyH o s t P l a n t s : Docks (Rumex sp.)C o m m e n t s : Look for Gray Coppers in low, wet

grassy habitats. Unlike the Bronze Copper, it mayalso be found in drier habitats such as railroad rightof ways. Milkweed is a favorite nectar plant.Females have several dark spots on their upperforewings while males have only a couple. Theunderside of both wings is light whitish-gray withseveral small black spots. There is a vivid orangemarginal band on the hind wings above and below.

■ Gray Copper

©Betsy Betros©

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Bronze CopperLycaena hyllus

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.2 – 1.6"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 or more flights, May – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : Docks and knotweedsC o m m e n t s : Bronze Coppers stay close to damp

habitats such as swales, roadside ditches andmargins of ponds and streams. Smartweed is afavored nectar plant. These butterflies are mosteasily distinguished from Gray Coppers by theorange on the under forewings. Their flight timeextends much later in the season than GrayCoppers. Male upperwings are mostly brownwashed with purple and have a few small darkspots, while females have a large area of orange inthe upper forewings and more numerous spots.

■ Bronze Copper

©Betsy Betros©

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Coral HairstreakSatyrium titus

R a n g e : East 3/4W i n g s p a n : 0.9 – 1.4"F l i g h t T i m e s : 1 flight, June – JulyH o s t P l a n t s : Various trees, including plum and

cherryC o m m e n t s : Look for Coral Hairstreaks in brushy

fields and thickets in early summer. Butterflymilkweed is one of their preferred nectar sources,and finding the two together is a beautiful sight.Dogbane (Apocynum sp.) is another favored nectarplant. Upperwings are mostly light brown, andunderwings are light gray with several small white-edged black spots. They have a row of smallred/orange spots along the hindwing margin,above and below. This row of spots below mayextend across the forewings also in females. CoralHairstreaks do not have tails (hairstreaks).

■ Coral Hairstreak

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Gray HairstreakStrymon melinus

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 0.8 – 1.2"F l i g h t T i m e s : Multiple flights, March – NovemberH o s t P l a n t s : Many different plants in different familiesC o m m e n t s : The Gray Hairstreak is Kansas’ most

common hairstreak. It may be found nectaring in awide variety of habitats. Look for the tails, the plaingray underwings with the narrow, tri-colored bandof orange, black and white crossing both wings andthe orange eyespot with a black center on the rearedge of the hindwing. Compared to the GrayCopper, the upperwings are plain gray without anyspots, and the rear edge of the hindwing has asingle orange eyespot rather than a band of orange.The upper surface of the abdomen of males is paleorange while female abdomens are all gray. Alsonote the orange on the forehead and the leadingedge of the forewings. It is often seen basking withwings open.

■ Gray Hairstreak

©Betsy Betros

©Greg Sievert

©Greg Sievert

female

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Juniper HairstreakCallophrys gryneus

R a n g e : East 2/3W i n g s p a n : 0.7 – 1.2"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights, March – AugustH o s t P l a n t s : Eastern Red CedarC o m m e n t s : Although small, the Juniper Hairstreak is

one of Kansas’ most attractive butterflies, and veryeasily recognized. They are usually found on andaround cedar trees, which are the host plant. Shakea tree’s branches and you may flush out a few.Watch for them nectaring near cedars, particularlyon milkweeds. They typically perch with theirwings closed, displaying the olive greencamouflage of the underwings, set off by bands ofcinnamon brown edged in white. The legs andantennae are zebra striped and the black antennalclub has a dot of orange on the end.

■ Juniper Hairstreak

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Reakirt’s BlueEchinargus isola

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 0.6 – 1.0"F l i g h t T i m e s : Multiple flights, April – NovemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various members of the Legume FamilyC o m m e n t s : The underwing pattern of the Reakirt’s

Blue is “busier” and the background color is darkercompared to Eastern Tailed-Blues and the Azures.Look for the median row of white-ringed blackspots on the underside of the forewings, two darkspots on the rear edge of the upper hindwings andthe absence of tails or any orange marks on theback edge of the hindwings. Males show an overallblue color above, while females only have a smallamount of blue near the base of their otherwisedark upperwings. The smaller Western Pygmy Blue(not illustrated) does not have the median row ofblack spots on the under forewing.

■ Reakirt’s Blue

©Greg Sievert

©Greg Sievert

©Greg Sievert

female

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Eastern Tailed-BlueCupido comintas

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 0.6 – 1.0"F l i g h t T i m e s : 3 flights, April – NovemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various members of the Legume FamilyC o m m e n t s : A common behavior of this species and

other hairstreak butterflies is to slowly move thehind wings up and down when perched. This is adistraction display which animates the eyespots onthe rear wings and the antenna-like tails so a birdpredator will hopefully strike there instead of thehead. This is the only Blue in our area with tails. Inworn or older individuals with the tails missing,look for the 2-3 orange spots near the rear edge ofthe hindwings to distinguish it from the Azures. Itmay often be seen puddling in groups on dampground. Their caterpillars, like the caterpillars ofother blues, are attended to and protected by ants.The caterpillars reward the ants by secretingdroplets of honeydew.

■ Eastern Tailed-Blue

©Betsy Betros

©Betsy Betros

©Betsy Betros

male

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Spring Azure & Summer AzureCelastrina ladon & Celastrina neglecta

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 0.7 – 1.4"F l ight T imes , Spr ing Azure : 1 flight, March – MayF l i g h t T i m e s , S u m m e r A z u r e : 3 flights, May –

OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : Dogwood, New Jersey Tea and other

woody plantsC o m m e n t s : Spring Azures appear earlier than other

local butterflies, aside from species that overwinteras adults. Azures have unmarked, light-blueupperwings but female upper forewings have widedark edges. The upperwings are seldom seen whenperched. The underwings are white with a variablenumber of small black spots, but have neithereyespots nor any orange marks on the trailing edges.These two species can only be distinguished in thefield by the calendar date, but they may still overlapin May. A fresh individual in May would most likelybe a Summer Azure. Azures often puddle in largegroups. Their slug-like caterpillars feed on theflowers, buds and fruits of their host plants.

■ Spring Azure & Summer Azure

©Betsy Betros

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Summer Azure

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American SnoutLibytheana carinenta

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.2 – 1.9"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights, May – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : HackberryC o m m e n t s : The bold black, orange and white colors

on the upper wings may bring to mind a PaintedLady, but the long labial palps extending in front ofthe head readily separate the American Snout fromall other local species. Also note the smaller sizeand distinctive squared-off forewing tips. Thisspecies’ abundance varies greatly each year,depending on weather conditions in the southernU.S., where the first generation originates.

■ American Snout

©Betsy Betros©

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Variegated FritillaryEuptoieta claudia

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.5 – 2.6"F l i g h t T i m e s : Multiple flights, April – NovemberH o s t P l a n t s : Several, including violets, passion vines

and pansiesC o m m e n t s : The Variegated Fritillary is Kansas’ most

common fritillary. The upperwings resemble thoseof a Great Spangled Fritillary, but note the wide,pale yellow median band crossing both wings,visible from above and below. The Variegated isalso much smaller than a Great Spangled and hasno large silver spots on the under hindwings. It isvery conspicuous in prairies early in the season, butmay be found nectaring almost anywhere by latesummer.

©Greg Sievert

■ Variegated Fritillary

©Rosa McHenry

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Great Spangled FritillarySpeyeria cybele

R a n g e : Northeast 2/3W i n g s p a n : 2.6 – 3.5"F l i g h t T i m e s : 1 flight, May – SeptemberH o s t P l a n t s : VioletsC o m m e n t s : The Great Spangled Fritillary is a

Monarch-sized light orange butterfly with largesilver spots on the underside of the hind wings. Incontrast to the Regal Fritillary, both upperwings areorange and the dark lines on the upper forewingshave more of a chain mail look. Males emerge inJune, about a week before the females. Males dieshortly after mating. Females may fly through therest of the summer into early fall.

■ Great Spangled Fritillary

©Greg Sievert

©G

reg

Siev

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31

Regal FritillarySpeyeria idalia

R a n g e : Statewide, rare west 1/2W i n g s p a n : 2.9 – 3.8"F l i g h t T i m e s : 1 flight, June – SeptemberH o s t P l a n t s : Prairie violets, such as Viola pedataC o m m e n t s : Regal Fritillaries reside only in pristine

tallgrass prairie containing the host plant. However,much of that habitat nationally has been lost todevelopment and agriculture, and their numbershave declined. Fortunately, much of Kansas’tallgrass prairie remains, and good numbers of thisspecies are still present. Males emerge first in June,with females emerging later. Both may often befound around the Fourth of July. Males die soonafter mating, but females may live until early fall.The dark upper forewing tip of the female is theeasiest way to separate the sexes in the field.

■ Regal Fritillary

©Mark Neubrand©

Bob

Gre

ss

female

32

Gorgone CheckerspotChlosyne gorgone

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.0 – 1.7"F l i g h t T i m e s : Multiple flights, April – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : Various species in the Aster Family.

Larvae feed gregariously.C o m m e n t s : The Gorgone Checkerspot is common

across Kansas. The best way to recognize it is bythe median transverse band of black-borderedwhite cells on the under hindwing. These cells havevery jagged outlines, giving this band a “shatteredglass” look. On the upper side, small pale chevronsin the dark band on the rear edge of the hindwingswill distinguish it from the Silvery Checkerspot.

©Larry Armstrong

■ Gorgone Checkerspot

©Betsy Betros

©B

etsy

Bet

ros

33

Silvery CheckerspotChlosyne nycteis

R a n g e : East 1/2W i n g s p a n : 1.3 – 1.6"F l i g h t T i m e s : Multiple flights, May – AugustH o s t P l a n t s : Various species in the Aster Family.

Larvae feed gregariously.C o m m e n t s : In the eastern half of the state, the Silvery

Checkerspot can be confused with the Gorgone, butthe cells in the transverse, white median band onthe under hindwing have even, rounded borders,unlike the jagged borders of the Gorgone. Todistinguish this from the Pearl Crescent, look at thesubmarginal row of dark dots on the upperhindwings, of which at least a few will have whitecenters on a Silvery Checkerspot. The base of theupper hindwing is nearly all dark on both this andthe Gorgone Checkerspot, unlike the reticulatedpattern on a Pearl Crescent.

©Greg Sievert

■ Silvery Checkerspot

©Greg Sievert

©B

etsy

Bet

ros

34

Phaon CrescentPhyciodes phaon

R a n g e : Southeast 1/2W i n g s p a n : 0.8 – 1.3"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights: June – July, September –

OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : Fog fruit (Phyla sp.)C o m m e n t s : The Phaon Crescent’s upper forewings

have a transverse, crooked, cream-colored medianband. The under forewings, when visible, have abold calico pattern which distinguishes it from thePearl Crescent. The Phaon Crescent is local indistribution and found in close association with thehost plant, which grows along wetland edges.

■ Phaon Crescent

©Betsy Betros

©B

etsy

Bet

ros

35

Pearl CrescentPhyciodes tharos

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.0 – 1.6"F l i g h t T i m e s : Multiple flights, April – NovemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various species in the Aster Family.C o m m e n t s : The Pearl Crescent is one of the most

common butterflies in the state, due primarily to itsgeneralist strategy on choosing host plants. Theunder hindwings of males are plainly markedcompared to females. Look midway along the outermargin of the under hindwing for the black-bordered white crescent that gives the species itsname. On the upper hindwing, note the area at thebase of the wing is not predominantly dark like onthe checkerspots and none of the small dark spotsin the submarginal row have white centers.

■ Pearl Crescent

©Betsy Betros

©B

etsy

Bet

ros

female top,male bottom

36

Question MarkPolygonia interrogationis

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.9 – 2.5"F l i g h t T i m e s : Potentially year-roundH o s t P l a n t s : Elm and hackberryC o m m e n t s : Question Marks overwinter as adults.

Like the Eastern Comma, overwintering QuestionMarks have upper hindwings that are mostlyorange. The summer generation has mostly darkupper hindwings. Look for the silvery “squiggle +a dot” in the center of the under hindwing. It islarger than the Comma, with longer tails and asmoother outline to the forewings. It is one of thefew species in Kansas that may be seen flying onwarm winter days. It rarely visits flowers but isattracted to carrion, scat, over-ripe fruit andpuddles on damp earth.

©Greg Sievert

■ Question Mark

©B

etsy

Bet

ros

overwintering form

©Greg Sievert

37

Eastern CommaPolygonia comma

R a n g e : Northeast 1/2W i n g s p a n : 1.6 – 2.3"F l i g h t T i m e s : Potentially year-roundH o s t P l a n t s : Nettles and hopsC o m m e n t s : The scalloped wing edge of the Eastern

Comma easily separates it from the Emperors, andthe smaller tails separate it from the QuestionMark. Commas overwinter as adults. Thatgeneration has mostly orange upper hindwings,while those of the summer generation are mostlydark. The underside of the hind wing has only asilvery squiggle, without the additional dot of theQuestion Mark. Its range in Kansas is much lessthan that of the Question Mark.

©Betsy Betros

■ Eastern Comma

©B

etsy

Bet

ros

©Betsy Betros

38

Mourning CloakNymphalis antiopa

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.6 – 2.3"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights: spring and fallH o s t P l a n t s : Various trees, including willow,

cottonwood, elm and hackberry. Larvae feedgregariously.

C o m m e n t s : Although overwintering adults may beseen flying on warm winter days, those individualsusually have faded and tattered wings. The subtlebeauty of a Mourning Cloak’s markings is bestappreciated in a freshly-emerged individual of thesummer generation. Watch for the new hatch inearly June. These will fly briefly and then aestivate(enter summer hibernation). They will then feedagain in fall before hibernating. These individualsmay live 10 months as an adult, making it Kansas’longest-lived butterfly species.

■ Mourning Cloak

©Thane Rogers

©T

hane

Rog

ers

39

American LadyVanessa virginensis

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.6 – 2.3"F l i g h t T i m e s : Adults immigrate from the southwest,

then 2 local flights, March – NovemberH o s t P l a n t s : Pussytoes and Pearly EverlastingC o m m e n t s : The upper hindwing eyespots of the

American Lady are not clearly separated from eachother like those of the Painted Lady, and the underhindwing has only two large eyespots instead of 4-5 small ones.

■ American Lady

©David Welfelt

©G

reg

Siev

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40

■ Painted Lady

©Thane Rogers

©Bob Gress

Painted LadyVanessa cardui

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.7 – 2.6"F l i g h t T i m e s : Adults immigrate from the southwest,

then 2 local flights, March – NovemberH o s t P l a n t s : Many different plants in different familiesC o m m e n t s : The Painted Lady is found nearly

worldwide, making it the most widely distributed ofall butterfly species. For that reason, it is also knownas the Cosmopolitan. Its wide usage of different hostplants helps make that possible. Note the row ofsmall eyespots on the under hindwing, in contrast toonly two on the American Lady. The Painted Lady,like the Hackberry Emperor, has a large black areaon the upper forewing tip with white spots, but theremainder of the wings, both above and below, hasan orange background color rather than light grayishbrown. Spring migrants, usually seen as singleindividuals, are often observed flying purposefullyin a northeasterly direction. A notable flight in 1983was so heavy that individuals hitting windshieldsposed a hazard to motorists.

©Larry Armstrong

41

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.6 – 2.3"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 local flights plus immigrants from

the south, March – NovemberH o s t P l a n t s : NettlesC o m m e n t s : The Red Admiral is one of the few

species that overwinters as an adult in Kansas. Forthat reason, it may often be observed in earlyspring. Watch for it on blooming lilacs. Note thebold red stripe across both upperwings, unlike anyother local species. The underwings have a verycryptic coloration that blends remarkably well withtree bark. However, the wings are occasionally heldless tightly together and then the red, white andblue markings on the under forewings becomevisible. Red Admirals are fond of tree sap and alsosalt, which they obtain from the sweat on ourbodies or while puddling.

■ Red Admiral

©Larry Londagin

©C

arol

yn S

chw

ab

42

Common BuckeyeJunonia coenia

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.5 – 2.4"F l i g h t T i m e s : Adults immigrate from the south, then

2 local flights, April – NovemberH o s t P l a n t s : Figworts and plantainsC o m m e n t s : With its wings spread basking in the sun,

the Common Buckeye is easily recognized by thelarge, colorful eye spots on both upperwings. Theunderside of the wings is cryptically colored, withthe fall version being more reddish-brown. Maleswill sometimes dart out to investigate people whowander into their territory.

©Greg Sievert

■ Common Buckeye ©Betsy Betros

©B

etsy

Bet

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43

Red-spotted PurpleLimenitis arthemis astyanax

R a n g e : East 1/2W i n g s p a n : 2.3 – 3.5"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights, May – SeptemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various woody plants, including cherry,

apple, cottonwood and serviceberryC o m m e n t s : The upper wings of the Red-spotted

Purple mimic those of the Pipevine Swallowtail,but there are no tails. Note the large red spots nearthe base of the underwings. This speciesoverwinters in the larval stage. Fifth instarcaterpillars have long, spiky “horns” on theirheads.

©Greg Sievert

■ Red-spotted Purple

©B

etsy

Bet

ros

©Linda Williams

44

ViceroyLimenitis archippus

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 2.3 – 3.1"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights, May – SeptemberH o s t P l a n t s : Willows and poplarsC o m m e n t s : The dark line crossing the hind wing

veins is the easiest way to separate the Viceroyfrom the Monarch. In a few individuals, however,this line is missing. Note there is only a single rowof white spots in the black band on the trailingedges of the wings, while Monarchs have two rows.Viceroys overwinter in the larval stage, inside asmall leaf that has been rolled up, sewn shut withsilk and attached to the twig so it won’t fall off.Watch for these butterflies perched on the foliage ofthe host plants.

©Greg Sievert

■ Viceroy

©B

etsy

Bet

ros

©Betsy Betros

45

Goatweed LeafwingAnaea andria

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.8 – 2.5"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights: one emerges in late spring

and the other emerges in fall and overwintersH o s t P l a n t s : CrotonC o m m e n t s : Goatweed Leafwings overwinter as adults

and may sometimes be seen flying on warm winterdays. The lack of black upperwing markings helpsseparate them from the anglewings, as does therelatively smooth wing margin and lack of any“punctuation marks” on the under hindwings. Maleswill often fly up and investigate any moving object(including people) in their territory. Males have soliddark orange upperwings, while those of females arelighter and have a wide, pale submarginal band.They typically perch with wings closed and are well-camouflaged when they do, since they stronglyresemble a dead leaf. Adults rarely visit flowers,instead feeding from sap flows, rotting fruit and scat.

■ Goatweed Leafwing

©Carolyn Schwab

©La

rry

Lond

agin

male

46

Hackberry EmperorAsterocampa celtis

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.5 – 2.2"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights, May – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : HackberryC o m m e n t s : Hackberry Emperors appear some years

in very large numbers, and in those years the larvaemay defoliate host trees. They are fond of salt andoften land on shoulders and arms to sip sweat withtheir proboscis. The upper wings have a large darkarea near the forewing tip but are somewhatvariably colored otherwise, from light orange togrey. Of the two short, dark bars on the upperforewing, the one closest to the body is often brokenor nearly broken. There is a row of small eyespotson the under hindwings near the outer edge.

©Greg Sievert

■ Hackberry Emperor

©T

hane

Rog

ers

©Betsy Betros

47

Tawny EmperorAsterocampa clyton

R a n g e : East 2/3W i n g s p a n : 1.4 – 2.4"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights, June – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : HackberryC o m m e n t s : Tawny Emperors may be found in

woodland edge habitat. Compared to their closecousin, the Hackberry Emperor, the upper wingshave an overall wash of light orange to brown colorwithout any white marks or a large black area at thetip. Note the two unbroken dark bars on the upperforewing. Below, the eyespots and other markingsare less distinct than those of a Hackberry Emperor.Like the Hackberry Emperor, it rarely visits flowers,instead feeding on sap flows, rotting fruit and scat.

©Greg Sievert

■ Tawny Emperor

©B

etsy

Bet

ros

©Betsy Betros

48

Little Wood SatyrMegisto cymela

R a n g e : East 2/3W i n g s p a n : 1.3 – 1.7"F l i g h t T i m e s : 1 flight, May – AugustH o s t P l a n t s : Various grassesC o m m e n t s : The Little Wood Satyr is found in

woodland edges and glades. It is the Kansasbutterfly most likely to be mistaken for a moth dueto its size and appearance. It is much smaller thanCommon Wood Nymphs and flies earlier in theyear, but there is a period of overlap in mid-summer. It has two conspicuous eyespots on theouter forewings, visible from above and below. Onthe underwings, notice the two narrow, transversedark brown lines that cross both wings.

■ Little Wood Satyr

©Greg Sievert

©B

etsy

Bet

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49

Common Wood NymphCercyonis pegala

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.7 – 2.7"F l i g h t T i m e s : 1 flight, June – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : Various grassesC o m m e n t s : Common Wood Nymphs are found in

woodland edge habitat and nearby grassy areas.When stirred into flight they usually fly a shortdistance to a new perch with a leisurely, bouncingflight pattern. The species is much larger than othersatyr butterflies in this area, which have somewhatsimilar wing markings. The two large eyespots onthe under forewings, which often touch one another,are usually surrounded by a large yellow area. Theupperwings are mostly a plain brown, and theunderwings have a complex pattern of small, darkbrown lines on a light brown background.

■ Common Wood Nymph

©David Welfelt©

Gre

g Si

ever

t

50

MonarchDanaus plexippus

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 2.3 – 3.1"F l i g h t T i m e s : 3 flights, April – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : MilkweedsC o m m e n t s : Look for Monarchs in prairie habitats,

mainly in the eastern half of the state. They alsovisit home flower gardens. Caterpillars feed solelyon milkweeds from which they obtain a potenttoxin which protects them from predation by birds.The bold yellow, black and white stripes of thecaterpillar advertise this quality to birds, as does thebold orange and black coloration of the adult. Thejade green chrysalis with a scattering of gold dots isgorgeous to behold. Their bird-like annualmigration to one small area of central Mexico isunique in the world, and all the more remarkablebecause the insects have no elders to show them theway. First spring arrivals are usually in the secondweek of April. The main wave of fall migrantstypically passes through Kansas in mid-September.

■ Monarch

©David Welfelt

©Betsy Betros

©Larry Armstrong

male

female

51

Silver-spotted SkipperEpargyreus clarus

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.6 – 2.5"F l i g h t T i m e s : 3 flights, April – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : Various legumes, such as Black Locust,

False Indigo and Wild SennaC o m m e n t s : This is the most common large skipper in

the state. The large blaze of silver near the middle ofthe underwings is distinctive, also note the blaze ofyellow/orange in the forewings. The flight is rapid,jerky and erratic, but individuals are easily observedwhile nectaring at flowers. Favored nectar plantsinclude milkweeds, alfalfa and buttonbush. It oftenperches upside down. Males await females onexposed perches from which they fly out toinvestigate any large insect flying by.

©Greg Sievert

■ Silver-spotted Skipper

©G

reg

Siev

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©Linda Williams

52

Southern CloudywingThorybes bathyllus

R a n g e : East 1/2W i n g s p a n : 1.3 – 1.6"F l i g h t T i m e s : 3 flights, April – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : Various legumesC o m m e n t s : Cloudywings and duskywings can be

difficult to separate in the field, but note thedifferences in wing shape and the even colorationof cloudywings compared to the more mottledcoloration of duskywings. The upperwings of theSouthern Cloudywing are darker toward the baseand lighter on the margin. The white spots in theforewing median area are in a row and usuallyhourglass-shaped. The face is typically white andthere is a small white spot at the bend of theantennal club.

■ Southern Cloudywing

©Betsy Betros

©G

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53

©P

aul G

riffi

n

Hayhurst’s ScallopwingStaphylus hayhurstii

R a n g e : East 2/3W i n g s p a n : 0.9 – 1.2"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights, May – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : Various weeds, such as Lambsquarter

and AmaranthC o m m e n t s : In contrast to other small, dark skippers,

look for the wavy, scalloped margin of thehindwings, hence its name. It perches with thewings held open; flat against the surface it rests on.In good light, notice the abundance of lighter-colored scales on the upper wings, which make itlook as if they were dusted with flour, and give itan almost grizzled appearance. The caterpillarsfeed at night.

■ Hayhurst’s Scallopwing

54

©R

osa

McH

enry

Funereal DuskywingErynnis funeralis

R a n g e : Southwest 1/2W i n g s p a n : 1.4 – 1.8"F l i g h t T i m e s : 3 flights, May – AugustH o s t P l a n t s : Various legumesC o m m e n t s : This is the only duskywing in Kansas

with a conspicuous white fringe on the hindwings.The fringe is visible from above and below. Alsonote the pale brown patch along the leading edgeof the upper forewing, and the relatively narrowforewing compared to other duskywings.

■ Funereal Duskywing

55

Wild Indigo DuskywingErynnis baptisiae

R a n g e : East 1/2W i n g s p a n : 1.1 – 1.5"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights, April – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : Wild Indigos (Baptisia) and Crown VetchC o m m e n t s : The Wild Indigo Duskywing has always

been associated with native prairie containing itsprimary host plant. However, it has also shown awillingness to utilize Crown Vetch as a host plant,so its numbers are increasing since that plant hasbeen extensively used by highway departments forerosion cover on road cuts. The best field marks forthis species are on the upper forewings. They aredarker at the base than the tip, there is a scatteringof light grey scales in the wing tip area and a smallbrown patch between the wing tip and base. Allduskywings are very challenging to identify in thefield, and this species is no exception. Seeing one ofthem on its host plant may be its best field mark.

■ Wild Indigo Duskywing

©Greg Sievert

©C

arol

yn S

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56

Common Checkered-SkipperPyrgus communis

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.0 – 1.3"F l i g h t T i m e s : 3 flights, March – NovemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various mallowsC o m m e n t s : This species is easy to recognize, with its

vivid black and white wing pattern. It may befound most of the year in low, weedy habitats andis often seen basking in mowed areas along hikingtrails or nectaring at dandelions, asters and othercommon weeds. Fresh individuals have a vividblue-green sheen on their long, upper body hairswhich is visible in good light. The under hindwingshave a distinctive pattern of irregular tan and whitestripes.

■ Common Checkered-Skipper

©Betsy Betros

©B

etsy

Bet

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57

Common SootywingPholisora catullus

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.0 – 1.2"F l i g h t T i m e s : 3 flights, April – SeptemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various weedy plants, including

Lambsquarter, Amaranth and ragweedsC o m m e n t s : At first glance, the Common Sootywing

might be mistaken for one of the other small, darkskippers, but look for the white face, white spots ontop of the head and the small white spots near theforewing tip of otherwise very dark wings. It is alsosmaller than our duskywings and cloudywings.Close up, notice the vividly zebra-striped antennae.It is often seen in vacant lots and other disturbedhabitats, or puddling in groups at muddy sites.Caterpillars sew leaves of the host plant togetherfor resting spots.

■ Common Sootywing

©Carolyn Schwab

©B

etsy

Bet

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58

Least SkipperAncyloxypha numitor

R a n g e : East 3/4W i n g s p a n : 0.8 – 1.1"F l i g h t T i m e s : 3 flights, May – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : Various grassesC o m m e n t s : This very small butterfly is more often

seen around damp grassy swales. It has roundedouter margins on the forewings compared to themore pointed wingtips of other orange skippers. Itsunder hindwings are plain orange, but the underforewings have a dark central area and distinctblack veins toward the edge. Above, the wingshave wide, dark terminal bands with long orangefringes. It flies slowly, just over, or even under, thesemiaquatic grasses of its restricted habitat nearlakes, streams, marshes or roadside ditches. It iseasily overlooked, but easy to observe once found.

■ Least Skipper

©Greg Sievert

©B

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Bet

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59

Fiery SkipperHylephyla phyleus

R a n g e : East 1/2W i n g s p a n : 1.0 – 1.4"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights, May – OctoberH o s t P l a n t s : Weedy grasses, such as Bermuda and

crabgrassC o m m e n t s : The Fiery Skipper’s host plants are more

common in urban areas or disturbed ground thanin native prairie so they are not uncommon intowns. It nectars at most flowers, but especiallymilkweeds, thistles, alfalfa and ornamentals ingardens. Note the unusually short antennae. Theundersides of the wings are plain orange, but haveseveral dark spots on them. Females have morespots on their wings than males. Above, males havea narrow dark stigma in the forewing (unlike thatof the Sachem) and the narrow black terminal bandis jagged on the inner side, as if the orange in themiddle of the wing were flames, hence the speciesname. Female upperwings have several largeorange and black marks and a wider terminal band.

■ Fiery Skipper

©Mark Neubrand

©B

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Bet

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male

female

60

Ottoe SkipperHesperia ottoe

R a n g e : Statewide, except southeast cornerW i n g s p a n : 1.3 – 1.6"F l i g h t T i m e s : 1 flight, June – JulyH o s t P l a n t s : Bluestem grassesC o m m e n t s : The Ottoe Skipper is found only in native

prairie in early to mid-summer. The underside ofthe wings is an unmarked light orange. Males havea black stigma on the upper forewing similar to amale Sachem, but much narrower. From above,females resemble female Sachems, and also have asmall transparent window in the middle of theforewing, but note the plain orange underwings.

■ Ottoe Skipper

©Betsy Betros

©B

etsy

Bet

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female

female

61

SachemAtalopedes campestris

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.1 – 1.6"F l i g h t T i m e s : Multiple flights, April – NovemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various grassesC o m m e n t s : The Sachem is a larger skipper that flies

in a variety of habitats all season, often becomingrather common by fall. It is sexually dimorphic(different male and female forms). The large blackblotch on the basal area of the male’s upperforewing (known as a stigma) is distinctive.Females have a couple square-ish transparentwindows in the middle of the forewing. Below, thewings are somewhat variably marked, but look fora square dark patch in the middle of the edge of thehindwing next to the abdomen.

■ Sachem

©Betsy Betros

©B

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male

62

©G

reg

Siev

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Arogos SkipperAtrytone arogos

R a n g e : Statewide, except southwest 1/4W i n g s p a n : 0.9 – 1.2"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights, May – June & July –

SeptemberH o s t P l a n t s : Bluestem grassesC o m m e n t s : The Arogos Skipper is found in native

prairie. It has unmarked orange underwings likethe Delaware Skipper, but is smaller and the wingsare edged with a lighter-colored fringe. The upperforewings lack the distinct black veins and thenarrow V marks of the Delaware. Females typicallyhave a narrow dark streak through the middle ofthe forewing.

■ Arogos Skipper

63

Delaware SkipperAnatrytone logan

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 1.1 – 1.4"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights, May – SeptemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various native grasses, including Big

Bluestem and SwitchgrassC o m m e n t s : The underwings of the Delaware Skipper

are unmarked orange all the way out to the fringeon the edges. Above, the orange forewings havedistinct black veins and wide, dark terminal bands.Both sexes have a dark, narrow V mark in themiddle of the upper forewing, but females alsohave a dark blotch near the base of the wing. Lookfor it around swales and other damp grassyhabitats, as well as drier locations such as roadsidesand overgrown fields. It frequents flowers,especially thistles and milkweeds, and is easy toobserve while nectaring.

■ Delaware Skipper

©Betsy Betros

©B

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Bet

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male

female

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Zabulon SkipperPoanes zabulon

R a n g e : East 1/2W i n g s p a n : 1.1 – 1.4"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights, April – SeptemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various grassesC o m m e n t s : The Zabulon Skipper is a strongly

dimorphic species (different male and femaleforms). Males have large, central yellow patches onthe upper hindwings not divided by black veins asin the male Hobomok (not illustrated). Below, thehindwing has a large, irregularly-shaped, centralyellow patch and a smaller yellow patch near thebase. Females are mostly brown to nearly blackwith some dim orange blotches and a few largewhite spots on the outer half of the wings. It occursmost often in shaded woodlands or along streamswhere it rests on vegetation in sunlit openings.Males appear to establish territories. It commonlyvisits flowers for nectar in both native prairie andsuburban plantings.

■ Zabulon Skipper

©Betsy Betros

©B

etsy

Bet

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female

male

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Nysa Roadside-SkipperAmblyscirtes nysa

R a n g e : East 2/3W i n g s p a n : 0.7 – 1.0"F l i g h t T i m e s : 2 flights, May – June & August –

SeptemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various grassesC o m m e n t s : The Nysa Roadside-Skipper is best

recognized by the vivid brown and black mottlingon the underwings. It is dark above like theCommon Roadside-Skipper but with a small whitespot on the forewing which is separate from thelarger spot on the leading edge. Look for patrollingmales perched on trails and bare patches of groundin the early morning. In early spring it often occurson lawns with low flowers such as white clover.Roadside skippers typically bask with the rearwings held horizontal and the upper wingspartially spread.

■ Nysa Roadside-Skipper

©Betsy Betros

©B

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Common Roadside-SkipperAmblyscirtes vialis

R a n g e : StatewideW i n g s p a n : 0.9 – 1.2"F l i g h t T i m e s : 1 flight, April – SeptemberH o s t P l a n t s : Various grassesC o m m e n t s : This small skipper is found in edge

habitat, forest trails and along streams androadsides. It also visits flowers for nectar, both innative prairie and suburban gardens. It has plaindark wings above and below, with a small, distinctwhite patch on the leading edge of the forewingnear the tip. This white patch is visible from aboveand below and is typically wider at the wing edge.Fresh specimens will have a tan and blackcheckered fringe on the trailing edge of the wings.

■ Common Roadside-Skipper

©Betsy Betros

©B

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List of Suggested Books:Betros, B., A Photographic Field Guide to the Butterflies in

the Kansas City Region, Kansas City Star Books,Kansas City MO, 2008

Brock, J. & Kaufman, K., Kaufman Field Guide to Butterfliesof North America, Houghton Mifflin, New York NY,2003

Dole, J., Gerard, W. & Nelson, J., Butterflies of Oklahoma,Kansas and North Texas, University of OklahomaPress, Norman OK, 2004

Heitzman, J.R. & Heitzman, J.E., Butterflies and Moths ofMissouri, Missouri Department of Conservation,Jefferson City MO, 1996

Schwilling, M. & Ely, C., Checklist of Kansas Butterflies,Emporia State University, Emporia KS, 1991

Scott, J., The Butterflies of North America, StanfordUniversity Press, Stanford CA, 1986

Spencer, L., Arkansas Butterflies and Moths, Ozark SocietyFoundation, Little Rock AR, 2006

List of Internet Resources:Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/ Butterflies of America (includes North & Central America)

http://butterfliesofamerica.com/ North American Butterfly Association (NABA)

http://www.naba.org/ Kansas Lepidoptera list-serve

http://listserv.ksu.edu/archives/ksleps-l.html Butterflies of Oklahoma

http://www.birdsofoklahoma.net/Butterflies.htm BugGuide (for photos of all species of North American

insects and arachnids)http://bugguide.net/

This and all other GPNC pocket guides may be viewedonline at the nature center's websitehttp://www.gpnc.org

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AcknowledgementsBetsy Betros and Dr. Charles Ely carefully read through

the text and made many valuable suggestions. They alsodeserve recognition for their significant contributions tounderstanding our native Lepidoptera. All the followingphotographers generously contributed to this pocket guide:Betsy Betros (63 images), Greg Sievert (45), Thane Rogers (6),Jim Mason (5), Larry Armstrong (4), Bob Gress (4) MarkNeubrand (4), Carolyn Schwab (4), Rosa McHenry (3), DavidWelfelt (4), Linda Williams (3), Larry Londagin (2), and PaulGriffin (1). Lorrie Beck, Bob Gress, Kevin Groeneweg, MarcMurrell and Greg Sievert reviewed the text for grammar and clarity.

© 2012 Great Plains Nature Center

This publication would not be possible withoutsupport from the following sponsors:

Chickadee Checkoff Glenn SpringsHoldings, Inc.

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Pocket Guides Bob Gress, Editor

Single copies of these Pocket Guides may be picked up free at theGreat Plains Nature Center. Copies can be mailed for $3.00 each bysending your check, payable to GPNC, to: Pocket Guides, GreatPlains Nature Center, 6232 East 29th Street North, Wichita, KS 67220.

Jim Mason is a Naturalist at the Great Plains Nature Center.

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