• Butterflies
• Dragonflies
• Damselflies
• Tiger beetles
• Hike with Mike

• The butterflies:
• Skippers
  • Spread-wing Skippers
  • Skipperlings
  • Grass-Skippers
• Grass-Skippers
  • Swarthy Skipper
  • Least Skipper
  • Poweshiek Skipperling
  • European Skipper
  • Fiery Skipper
  • Common Branded Skipper
  • Ottoe Skipper
  • Leonard’s Skipper
  • Cobweb Skipper
  • Indian Skipper
  • Peck’s Skipper
  • Tawny-edged Skipper
  • Crossline Skipper
  • Long Dash
  • Northern Broken-Dash
  • Little Glassywing
  • Sachem
  • Delaware Skipper
  • Byssus Skipper
  • Mulberry Wing
  • Hobomok Skipper
  • Broad-winged Skipper
  • Dion Skipper
  • Black Dash
  • Two-spotted Skipper
  • Dun Skipper
  • Dusted Skipper
  • Pepper and Salt Skipper
  • Common Roadside-Skipper
  • Eufala Skipper
  • Arogos Skipper

Common Branded Skipper

(Hesperia comma)

I made my first trip up north to search for this skipper in 2006. None of the people that I usually butterfly with or who I correspond with knew where or when to see this species, but that didn’t stop me from heading north in hopes of finding this late season, northern species. I choose to check a site in Iron County, north of Mercer that I thought might harbor this species and found one within minutes of parking my car. I saw this species in all locations that I searched in Iron, Vilas, and Florence Counties so it appears that this is a fairly common species in these northern counties.

Identifying characteristics: Below, this skipper is a dull orange, with very distinct white spots. Above, the male is orange with a fairly wide black margin, and a prominent stigma. The female is darker with a couple of lighter spots in the middle of the front wings.

Similar species: The Leonard’s Skipper is very similar to this species with the upper wings of the male and female of these two species being nearly indistinguishable. Both skippers are late season skippers and may be found together in some Wisconsin locations. Below, the Leonard’s Skipper has reddish tinge to it, especially in very fresh individuals, while the Common Branded Skipper has a much lighter, even a somewhat greenish tinge. I was not 100% sure that the first ones I saw were Common Branded Skippers until I was able to check out my photos and compare them to those in my butterfly guides.

Habitat: Fields, open areas in woodlands, and roadsides in the northern counties.

Flight: This species is single-brooded. It may be seen from mid-July to late August.

Abundance: Common in the northeastern counties in the state.

Early Common Branded Skipper sightings, all years

Date seen	County	Reported by
07–22–2007	Marinette	Ann & Scott Swengel
08–01–2000	Iron	Mathew Brust
08–03–2006	Vilas	Mike Reese
08–03–2006	Iron	Mike Reese
08–03–2007	Florence	Ann & Scott Swengel
08–03–2007	Oneida	Ryan Brady

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