Swarthy Skipper

nastra lherminier

The Swarthy Skipper (Nastra lherminier) is a small, energetic butterfly belonging to the 'grass skipper' subfamily. Known for its rapid and erratic flight, it is a common inhabitant of open, grassy areas across the eastern United States. Despite its unassuming brown coloration, this species plays an important role in its ecosystem as both a pollinator and a food source. Its life cycle, from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis and finally to an adult butterfly, is a testament to the intricate transformations within the insect world. Spotting a Swarthy Skipper often requires a keen eye due to its swift movements and cryptic appearance, making it a rewarding discovery for nature enthusiasts.

Lebensraum: Found in various open, sunny habitats including fields, meadows, roadsides, woodland edges, and powerline clearings.

Aussehen

This small butterfly typically has an overall dark brown appearance. The upperside of its wings is uniformly dark with minimal markings, though some individuals may exhibit faint, dark brown spots. The underside of the hindwings is a solid dark brown, lacking any distinct spots or patterns, which is a key identifying feature distinguishing it from other similar-looking skippers. Its body is also dark brown. It possesses the characteristic chunky body and hooked antennae (club-like with a pointed tip) common to skippers, and its wings are relatively small and pointed.

ReichAnimaliaStammArthropodaKlasseInsectaOrdnungLepidopteraFamilieHesperiidaeGattungNastra

Swarthy Skipper

Kategorie

Insekten

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Despite their small size and dark coloration, adult Swarthy Skippers are important pollinators for many wildflowers in their habitat.

The Swarthy Skipper exhibits a very rapid, often described as 'skipping' or 'darting,' flight pattern that gave the entire family Hesperiidae their common name.

The caterpillars create small, silken shelters by folding grass blades, which helps them hide from predators and provides a microhabitat for feeding and growth.

Unlike many butterflies that hold their wings flat or together, skippers often perch with their forewings and hindwings held at different angles, creating a distinctive 'delta' shape.

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Swarthy Skippers are known for their extremely fast and unpredictable flight, often darting quickly between flowers or perches. This makes them difficult for predators to catch and challenging for human observers to follow.

The caterpillars of the Swarthy Skipper construct shelters by folding and tying together blades of their host grass plants with silk. These shelters provide protection from predators and adverse weather during their developmental stages.

Adult Swarthy Skippers are highly adept at rapidly extracting nectar from small flowers. Their specialized proboscis and quick movements allow them to efficiently gather sustenance from numerous blossoms in a short period.

Maße und Details

Länge: 0-1 cm
Flügelspannweite: 2-3 cm
Gewicht: 0.0001-0.001 kg
Lebenserwartung: 0 Jahre
Top Speed: 15 km/h
Gelegegröße: 50-100
Brutzeit: 4-7 Tage

Ernährung und Fütterung

Adult Swarthy Skippers primarily feed on nectar from various small flowers, while their larvae are herbivorous, consuming the leaves of specific grass species.

Altersunterschiede: Yes, larvae feed on grass leaves, while adults feed on nectar.

Hauptnahrung

Nectar from buttonbush
Nectar from dogbane
Nectar from white clover
Nectar from pickerelweed
Leaves of little bluestem grass
Leaves of various other grasses

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

host plant

Little Bluestem

Schizachyrium scoparium

Larval host plant

mutualism

Buttonbush

Cephalanthus occidentalis

Nectar source for adults

mutualism

Common Milkweed

Asclepias syriaca

Nectar source for adults

eaten by

Praying Mantis

Mantis religiosa

Predator of larvae and adults

Merkmale

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Auch bekannt als

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Sammlungen

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Sicherheit

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Noch keine besonderen Sicherheitshinweise.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Wie identifiziert man Swarthy Skipper?

Der einfachste Weg, Swarthy Skipper zu bestimmen, ist die Verwendung der Naturführer-App Snappit.

Was ist der/die/das länge von Swarthy Skipper?

0-1 cm

Was ist der/die/das flügelspannweite von Swarthy Skipper?

2-3 cm

Was ist der/die/das gewicht von Swarthy Skipper?

0.0001-0.001 kg

Was ist der/die/das lebenserwartung von Swarthy Skipper?

0 Jahre

Was ist der/die/das top Speed von Swarthy Skipper?

15 km/h

Was frisst Swarthy Skipper?

Adult Swarthy Skippers primarily feed on nectar from various small flowers, while their larvae are herbivorous, consuming the leaves of specific grass species.

Wo findet man Swarthy Skipper normalerweise?

Found in various open, sunny habitats including fields, meadows, roadsides, woodland edges, and powerline clearings.