Butterflies of North Carolina:
their Distribution and Abundance
Common Name: Scientific Name:
Common Name begins with:
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Scientific Name begins with:
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Number of records: 249,613
Related Species in HESPERIIDAE:
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Common NameDun Skipper by Roger Rittmaster => Durham Co.
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Scientific NameEuphyes vestris
Link to BAMONA species account.
MapClick on a county for list of all database records for the species in that county.
Flight Chart
Common NameDun Skipper
Scientific NameEuphyes vestris
DistributionDISTRIBUTION: Statewide; found in all three provinces and undoubtedly occurs in all 100 counties.
AbundanceABUNDANCE: Fairly common and widespread over most of the state, with abundance levels not overly different among the provinces. In fact, for a Euphyes skipper, it is quite "common" and one of the more frequently encountered small brown skippers, though seldom more than one or two at any given locale. This is a common and widespread species to our north, but it is somewhat less numerous in NC than in states to our north.
FlightFLIGHT PERIOD: Two broods, which are quite extended in time relative to other Euphyes skippers. Downstate, early or mid-May to early or mid-July, and mid-July to mid-October, very rarely to early November. Though there are certainly two broods in the Mountains, there is no dip in the records in the middle of the flight chart and thus it is impossible to be sure when the first brood ends and the second begins. At any rate, the skipper is on the wing in the Mountains from mid-May to late September, rarely into October.
HabitatHABITAT: This is a species of a very wide range of habitats, but as with other Euphyes, it favors wetlands. It is found along moist woodland borders, ditches, roads and trails through damp woods, and powerline clearings, especially where damp. However, it also ranges into upland brushy areas such as weedy fields and even in gardens. Surprisingly, it is scarce in savannas and slightly brackish marshes; near the coast it is most often found in ditches and edges of moist woods.
PlantsFOOD AND NECTAR PLANTS: Various sedges, not only Carex species but also Scirpus species, are used by caterpillars. Adults nectar on many flowers, with no species predominating. However, males commonly take minerals and moisture from dirt roads.
CommentsCOMMENTS: The Dun Skipper can be easily confused with the Little Glassywing and the Northern Broken-dash, if not also with Swarthy Skipper and others. I usually see no more one to three Dun Skippers in a day of searching, but I see it on many to most days afield at the appropriate season and in the appropriate habitats. Taxonomists still keep this species in the genus Euphyes, but its appearance (dark brown as opposed to various shades of orange to brown), frequent mud-sipping behavior by males, and wide range of habitats speak against it being placed there instead of another genus.
State Status (first) and Rank (second)none - S5
Federal Status (first) and Global Rank (second)none - G5
Synonym
Other Name
Links to other butterfly galleries: [Cook] [Lynch] [Pippen] [Pugh]
Photo Gallery for Dun Skipper
Photo by: Randy Newman
Comment: Fort Macon State Park, Carteret Co.; 2003-July-13
Dun Skipper - Click to enlarge 		Photo by: Rob Van Epps
Comment: Aug 3, 2014. Mecklenburg Co.
Dun Skipper - Click to enlarge
Photo by: Rob Van Epps
Comment: Aug 2, 2014. Mecklenburg Co., Cowans Ford Wildlife Refuge; male
Dun Skipper - Click to enlarge 		Photo by: W. Cook
Comment: male, Orange Co.; 1-June-2002.
Dun Skipper - Click to enlarge
Photo by: Jeff Pippen
Comment: Male. Duke Forest, Orange Co.; 6 June 2004
Dun Skipper - Click to enlarge 		Photo by: Chris Talkington
Comment: Mecklenburg County; 1-Sep-2013; female
Dun Skipper - Click to enlarge
Photo by: Tom Sanders
Comment: Mecklenburg Co., 2010-Aug - not fresh
Dun Skipper - Click to enlarge