• 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

Mulberry Wing

(Poanes massasoit)

Mulberry Wing This species is found in wetland areas, dominated by Carex sedges. The Mulberry Wing is often found with the Black Dash throughout the state but is more commonly seen in the central part of the state. This species is not a strong flier and is found slowly moving through the sedges and grasses. I have tried to follow this species through the wetland area to verify that it was this species numerous times without much success. Despite the slower flight, it seems to move continuously throughout the grasses and sedges. It is sometimes easy to see the light yellow marks on the hindwing below while in flight, but like all skippers, it is much easier to observe while nectaring.

Identifying characteristics: A small, Peck’s Skipper sized skipper. Below, this skipper is dark, reddish brown with a distinctive large yellowish area that Karl Legler, long time bird, butterfly, and dragonfly watcher, has likened to an airplane. Above the male is very dark without any stigma and usually without any light marks. The female above has a yellowish spot band on the hindwing and usually with a few yellow spots on the forewing.

Similar species: This is a very distinctive species that should not be mistaken for any other species. I have received numerous submissions of skippers in the last five years that have been misidentified but I have not received one misidentified submission of this species.

Habitat: Fens, marshes, sedge meadows, wet roadsides, and wetland areas along trout streams.

Flight: One generation. This species has a flight period similar to the other sedge skippers, appearing first in mid-June and flying until late July.

Abundance: This species is fairly common where found. If there are limited nectar sources in the area this species may be missed, as it will be found only in the moister areas where fewer people are likely to look.

Early Mulberry Wing sightings, all years

Date seen	County	Reported by
06–20–2007	Dane	Ann Thering
06–23–2007	Dane	Dave Fallow
06–26–2006	Racine	Rhonda Hansen
06–26–2007	Jefferson	Andy Paulios
06–29–2006	Columbia	Mike Reese, Karl & Dorothy Legler
06–30–2007	Ozaukee	NABA count, 12 observers

Submit a Mulberry Wing sighting »