By Kelly Vowels
Bernheim is home to 89 species of butterflies, with more than 30 skipper species in the family Hesperidae. Skippers are unique from other butterflies by their stout bodies, large heads, and rapid, erratic flight. They are smaller than the average butterflies and usually not brightly colored being orange, black, or gray.
With over more 200 species in United States and Canada they are very difficult to identify. Many scientists joke that skippers are the group to skip. To help with identification, it is easier to separate the skippers into two groups, grass and spread-wing skippers.
Grass Skippers
Grass skippers are found everywhere and make up the most diverse group in the family. They are normally small, many tiny, and are usually orange though they can also be black or gray. They hold their wings in a distinctive way, the forewings are held open in a V shape while the hindwings are held out flat, or horizontally, to the side. Example of some grass skippers found at Bernheim include Leonard, cobweb, crossline, Hobomok, dun skippers, and many more.
Spread-Wing Skippers
Spread-wing skippers are open-winged skippers, and land with their wings open. Examples of spread wing skipper at Bernhiem are common checkered skipper, Hayhurst’s scallopwing, sootywing, duskywings, and many others.
Pollination and Migration
Skippers are great pollinators and can found throughout Bernheim Forest. A great place to go looking for them is the Edible Garden or the Big Prairie. In the fall migrating skippers and other butterflies, can be found in Bernheim Forest.
Most people know about Monarch that are migrate south, but there is a species that migrate north in fall, Ocola Skipper (Panoquina ocola). The Ocola Skipper normally will move north in the fall in search of new habitat for their offspring and to find food. They can be found at Bernheim normally late August to October.
Come join us on September 19 for Bugfest and learn more about these amazing butterflies and other insects.
