Tawny-Edged Skipper

polites themistocles

The Tawny-Edged Skipper is a small, colorful butterfly that flits around flowers. Its wings have beautiful tawny edges, making it easy to spot in gardens and fields!

Lebensraum: Tawny-Edged Skippers are commonly found in fields, meadows, and gardens.

Aussehen

The Tawny-Edged Skipper has a distinct tawny-orange patch on its forewings, sharply contrasting with its dark brown body and hindwings. This bright edge makes it stand out from other brown skippers, especially during its characteristic rapid, skipping flight.

ReichAnimaliaStammArthropodaKlasseInsectaOrdnungLepidopteraFamilieHesperiidaeGattungPolites

Tawny-Edged Skipper

Kategorie

Insekten

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

0/5 · Keine bekannte Gefahr

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Adult skippers only live for about two weeks, flying super fast!

Its caterpillar stage is sometimes called a "skipping worm"!

Some Tawny-Edged Skippers can overwinter as larvae in their leaf shelters!

They often 'puddle' on damp ground, drinking water for salty minerals!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Tawny-Edged Skippers can dart quickly and erratically through the air because of their powerful flight muscles and unique wing shape.

The caterpillar can fold and silk-tie a leaf together, creating a safe, camouflaged shelter to hide from hungry predators.

The Tawny-Edged Skipper has a long, straw-like tongue (proboscis) that helps it reach sweet nectar deep inside flowers.

Maße und Details

Flügelspannweite: 25-35 mm
Größe: 15-20 mm
Lebenserwartung: 10-14 Tage
Fluggeschwindigkeit: 12 km/h
Anzahl der Beine: 6

Ernährung und Fütterung

Adults sip sweet flower nectar; caterpillars munch on various grass leaves for energy.

Altersunterschiede: Caterpillars eat grass leaves, while adult skippers drink sweet flower nectar.

Hauptnahrung

Nectar (from various flowers)
Virginia wild rye
Big bluestem
Little bluestem

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eaten by

Eastern Kingbird

Tyrannus tyrannus

often caught by birds flying through open fields.

eats

Virginia wild rye

Elymus virginicus

its caterpillars feed on the leaves of this grass.

pollinates

Red Clover

Trifolium pratense

visits red clover flowers, transferring pollen as it sips nectar.

eaten by

American Green Tree Frog

Hyla cinerea

can be prey for amphibians in damp meadow areas.

Merkmale

Einzelgänger

Einzelgänger leben den größten Teil ihres Lebens allein und interagieren mit Artgenossen nur zur Paarung oder zur Aufzucht der Jungen.

Farbenfroh

Farbenfroh beschreibt Organismen oder Objekte, die eine große Vielfalt an leuchtenden und deutlich erkennbaren Farben aufweisen.

Grasland

Grasland-Lebensräume sind terrestrische Biome, die von Gräsern und krautigen Pflanzen dominiert werden und einer Vielzahl von Weidetieren als Lebensraum dienen.