nelsoid's Identifications

Skipper resting on Manzanita shrub on rocky Chew's Ridge Rd, elevation 5000 ft.

Comparison of 3 Skippers: Lindsey's Skipper, Columbian Skipper and Rural Skipper:

Lindsey's Skipper (Hesperia lindseyi) is a small, uncommon butterfly in the Grass Skippers (Hesperiinae subfamily) with a wingspan of 1.0-1.25 inches. It has one flight, April-June. Male is orange with white fringe and a deep shadowed rectangular pit on forewing. Larval food plants include bunchgrasses. Adults nectar on thistles and composities. It is often seen in the vicinity of serpentine soils. There are several subspecies.

It looks just like this confirmed observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/148251960

Butterflies of Monterey County: A comprehensive guide to finding and identifying 91 species of butterflies in Monterey County, pp. 186-187.

eButterfly: https://www.e-butterfly.org/ebapp/en/species/profile/435

Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West: a field guide to the butterflies of western North America, by Jeffrey Glassberg, 2001, pp. 258-259.

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Columbian Skipper (Hesperia columbia) small, uncommon butterfly in the Grass Skippers (Hesperiinae subfamily) with a wingspan of 1.0-1.25 inches. It has two flights per year, April-September. Larval food plants are perennial chaparral bunchgrasses. Their habitat is mid to high elevation, chaparral and Oak Woodlands, often on serpentine soils. It is a strong hilltopper and is often found on rocky ridges and peaks.

Link to confirmed Colombian Skipper with closed wings for comparison: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/215091172

Butterflies of Monterey County: A comprehensive guide to finding and identifying 91 species of butterflies in Monterey County, pp. 184-185.

eButterfly: https://www.e-butterfly.org/ebapp/en/species/profile/434

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COMPARED TO

Rural Skipper (Ochlodes agricola) is a small butterfly in the Grass Skippers (Hesperiinae) subfamily with a wing span of 0.75-1.0 inches. It has one flight per year, April-June. Favorite Larval food plant is perennial grasses. Favorite adult nectar is California Buckeye and Buckwheat. It is found in openings in wooded canyons, mostly in the low to mid elevation foothills. It is smaller than the similar looking Woodland Skipper. The Rural Skipper usually ends its flight in late June or early July, just as the similar looking adult Woodland Skipper begins.

Butterflies of Monterey County: A comprehensive guide to finding and identifying 91 species of butterflies in Monterey County, pp. 192-193.

e-Butterfly: https://www.e-butterfly.org/ebapp/en/species/profile/458
"Adults are ochre-orange. Males have diagonal black markings on fore wings. The underside of the hind wings are solid orange or mottled with brown. Adult males display territorial behavior. Larvae (caterpillars) feed on grasses and are yellow with black lines and a black head."

Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West: a field guide to the butterflies of western North America, by Jeffrey Glassberg, 2001, pp. 272-273.

Butterflies and Moths of North America https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Ochlodes-agricola

Bug photographs from the U.S/Canada for I.D: https://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Ochlodes+agricola

Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America. Brock and Kaufman, 2003, p. 328-329.

Grass Skippers are in the Skippers (Hesperiidae) family https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass_skippers: "Most grass skippers have a rapid, darting flight. When landed, their wings are often kept completely closed, or with the hind wings more or less completely open but with the fore wings only partially opened, forming a V or U."

Rural Skipper: "Flight date is really helpful here. Rural Skipper flies mostly May-June, while Woodland Skipper flies mainly July-October. In some places (Channel Islands and a few CA coastal locations) where Rural Skipper does not occur, Woodland Skipper will fly on the early side. For example, I've seen it a few miles inland from Point Reyes in early July. But at Pinnacles National Park where both species fly, Woodland Skipper starts in August and usually peaks in September. Yuma Skipper feeds on Giant Reed and the only populations I know of anywhere near the Monterey/SF Bay Area are near Benicia and farther inland along Central Valley rivers." (per INat euproserpinus 9/9/23)

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BUTTERFLY and CATERPILLAR (Annotated References):

In California, there are about 240 species of butterflies. There are more than 3,000 species of MOTHS, which represent 4 suborders in about 50 families. Butterflies have clubbed antennae, moths do not. Many moths are nocturnal, but not all.

Field Guide to California Insects, by Kip Will, J. Gross, D. Rubinoff , J. Powell, 2nd ed., 2020 (Lepidoptera, pp. 347-426)

Butterflies of Monterey County: A comprehensive guide to finding and identifying 91 species of butterflies in Monterey County, by Chris Tenney and photograher Jan Austin, August 2023 and companion website: https://www.montereybutterflies.online/

Glossary of Butterfly (and Moth) Terminology: https://butterfly.ucdavis.edu/resources/glossary

eButterfly: (2115+ species) https://www.e-butterfly.org/ebapp/en/observations/explore

BugGuide: Butterflies and Moths (U.S. and Canada) clickable categories or use search bar: https://bugguide.net/node/view/57

Butterfly Wing Areas and Body Parts (diagram)
Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West: a field guide to the butterflies of western North America, by Jeffrey Glassberg, 2001, p. 40.

Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West: a field guide to the butterflies of western North America, by Jeffrey Glassberg, 2001

Butterflies and Moths of North America https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species_search

Butterflies of Central and Northern California, a laminated pamphlet (guide to common and notable species) by Jim Brock, 2023

Caterpillar Anatomy diagram and Butterfly Basics: https://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterfly/activities/printouts/caterpillarprintout.shtml Life Cycle of a Butterfly: Egg --> Larva (the caterpillar) --> Pupa (the chrysalis or cocoon) --> Adult.

Caterpillars: INaturalist Project https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/california-caterpillars