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.

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

外見

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.

界Animalia門Arthropoda綱Insecta目Lepidoptera科Hesperiidae属Nastra

Swarthy Skipper

カテゴリ

昆虫

レア度

Common

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

スナップ

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おもしろい事実

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.

特殊能力

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.

サイズと詳細

長さ: 0-1 cm
翼開長: 2-3 cm
体重: 0.0001-0.001 kg
寿命: 0 年
Top Speed: 15 km/h
一度の産卵数: 50-100
抱卵期間: 4-7 日

食性と食事

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

年齢による違い: Yes, larvae feed on grass leaves, while adults feed on nectar.

主な食物

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

採餌方法

Foraging

生態系とのつながり

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

特徴

このオブジェクトにはまだ特徴バッジが割り当てられていません。

別名

まだ別名はありません。

コレクション

テーマが追加されると、このオブジェクトのコレクションがここに表示されます。

安全性

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

まだ特別な安全上の注意はありません。

よくある質問

Swarthy Skipperを見分けるには？

Swarthy Skipperを識別する最も簡単な方法は、Snappit自然識別アプリを使用することです。

Swarthy Skipperの長さは何ですか？

0-1 cm

Swarthy Skipperの翼開長は何ですか？

2-3 cm

Swarthy Skipperの体重は何ですか？

0.0001-0.001 kg

Swarthy Skipperの寿命は何ですか？

0 年

Swarthy Skipperのtop Speedは何ですか？

15 km/h

Swarthy Skipperは何を食べますか？

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

Swarthy Skipperは通常どこに生息していますか？

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