My Picture Insect App said that the skipper in the picture above is a Chequered Skipper.  This skipper is even smaller than the Black Dash Skipper that we talked about last week.
Features:  The uppersides of the Chequered Skipper are brown with orange markings on the base and and golden spots. The undersides of the forewings are orange with dark spots and the hindwing are russet brown with cream spots. The wing span is less than 1 1/2 inches. The antennae of skippers are shaped like a hook. Skippers have forewings, hindwings and powerful muscles so they can quickly dart around. Skippers look like they are half butterfly and half moth.
Food:  Skippers likes grassy areas in a wide variety of habitats where there are shrubs, tall herbs, and grasses. The skippers love my butterfly bushes.
Eggs:Â You can find Chequered Skipper eggs under host plant leaves. In Pennsylvania, two of the host plants are hibiscus and hollyhock.
Caterpillar:  Caterpillars will eat the leaves of a host plant. They will rest between a leaf and a stem and strengthen the area with a silk cocoon before they molt into a skipper.
Migration:  While skippers only live for about a month, the ones that are still alive will migrate south to enjoy the warmer weather. You will typically find a brood or a bunch of them flying together.
Beneficial:Â Â Chequered Skippers are beneficial because they are pollinators.
