• 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

Dun Skipper

(Euphyes vestris)

The Dun Skipper is one of the most common skippers in Wisconsin and is found throughout the state. I think it is more common in the northern part of the state where it becomes abundant after the European Skippers abundance has waned. I have seen 100s of these skippers in just small open areas or along roadsides in woodlands where it can often be found nectaring on dogbane (Apocynum sp.) or milkweed.

Identifying characteristics: Below, this skipper is mainly a black skipper with just a hint of a lighter spot band on the hindwing. Both the male and female are very dark from above. The male has a hard to see stigma that blends in with the dark color of the wings, while the female usually has two very tiny light spots in the middle of the forewing. In good light and especially in fresh specimens the head of the Dun Skipper is golden brown.

Similar species: Both male and female can be confused with dark females of the Northern Broken-Dash and male or female Little Glassywings, both of which are very dark skippers. If seen from below, in general the spot band of the Northern Broken-Dash is the most prominent, the Little Glassywing not as obvious and the Dun Skipper is very light to nonexistent, especially in worn individuals. From above the spots in the center of the wing of the female Dun Skipper are very tiny, with the Little Glassywing having spots, both in the male and in the female, much more prominent, and the Northern Broken-Dashes spots being somewhat intermediate and also usually somewhat yellowish. In the “Field Guide to The Skipper Butterflies of Illinois” they note that the Dun Skipper can be told from these two skippers by the lack of middle tibia spines, both of which the others do have. This is very difficult to see in most of my photos but it may be useful in some cases. The spines on the middle tibia are obvious in this photo of the Northern Broken-Dash here. here.

Habitat: Found in a variety of habitats including open upland habitats but may be found nectaring in wetland areas. This species is more common along woodland edges, and trails through woodlands in the northern part of the state.

Flight: In Illinois this species is double-brooded in the southern part of the state and supposedly single-brooded in the northern part of the state. In 2007 5 individuals of this species were seen at Hard Scrabble SNA on May 30th, an extremely early date for this species in Wisconsin. Whether this was just an anomaly because of the warm spring or it does represent a first of two generations at this site is still to be determined. Nevertheless, this species normally has a single brood that may be found from late June through late August (my late date is August 31, 2004). In the “Michigan Butterflies & Skippers” they list the early date as June 23 for this species.

Abundance: This species can become very abundant and 100s are not uncommon.

Early Dun Skipper sightings, all years

Date seen	County	Reported by
05–30–2007	Lafayette	Todd Sima
06–23–2007	Wood	Ron Arnold
06–23–2007	Dane	Dave Fallow
06–23–2007	Lafayette	Todd Sima and Mike Reese
06–23–2007	Iowa	Todd Sima and Mike Reese
06–28–2007	Burnett	S.J. Anderson

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