Tropical Least Skipper
Common NameTropical Least Skipper
Scientific NameAncyloxypha arene
FamilyHesperiidae
SubfamilyHesperiinae
Wingspan (mm)22
Wing Patternsolid
Primary Colorsorange, brown
HabitatOpen, grassy areas, wet meadows, stream banks, disturbed fields
Geographic RangeSouthern United States (TX, AZ, NM), Mexico, Central America, northern South America
Host PlantsBermuda grass, St. Augustine grass, Johnson grass
Flight PeriodYear-round in tropics; multiple broods spring to fall in northern range
Flight Styledarting
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Lifecycle NotesFemales lay single eggs on host grasses. Larvae are green with a dark head, feeding on grass blades before pupating in a loose silken cocoon near the base of the host plant.
Identification TipsDistinguished by its very small size, overall uniform orange-brown coloration (lacking prominent spots or bands), and typical skipper flight and hooked antennae. It can be differentiated from the similar Least Skipper (*A. numitor*) by its more southerly range and generally plainer hindwings.
Description
A very small, uniformly orange-brown skipper butterfly with a hairy body and relatively plain wings, often seen nectaring on flowers.
