Dion Skippers (Euphyes dion)
These large grass skippers are sparsely scattered through wetlands on the Eastern US and are resident in these wetlands, where their larval host plants are various sedges. However, quite a few began to show up in Piedmont North Carolina September 2005 shortly after Hurricanes Katrina (landfall: Louisiana, August 29) and Ophelia (landfall: southern North Carolina, September 12) arrived.
This skipper has a G4 Nature Conservancy Global Rank, meaning it is "apparently secure globally."
Click on the thumbnails to see enlarged photos.
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| Duke Gardens, 9/17/05, on lantana. | Dion Skipper on Purple Coneflower, Sandy Creek Park, Durham, NC, 5/31/11 | This relatively large skipper showed up on the edge of a swamp in my Durham neighborhood early on 9/5/05. It looked more orange than brown in direct light. The light ray on the hind wing is characteristic. | Male, same swamp, 9/8/05. This skipper is a relatively slow, bouncy flier. | Same skipper as on immediate left, different view. | Same skipper, dorsal view of forewing. |
© Copyright 2005 Dorothy E. Pugh. All rights reserved.
