The Rare Skipper is a small butterfly in the Hesperiidae family (1). They are mostly seen around tidal freshwater and brackish marshes (1, 2). They are found along the east coast ranging from southern New Jersey to Georgia (3). In Maryland, they are a threatened species with an S1 rank. Sadly, they are globally rare as well with a ranking of G2G3 (4).
The Rare skipper has a wingspan of about 1 ½ to 2 inches. Their upperside forewing is an orangish-yellow color with broad black borders. The females have slightly larger borders (5). Their upperside hindwing is orangish-yellow with a yellow-orange spot surrounded by a black border. Their undersides are solid yellow-orange with no markings or borders (5).
Rare Skipper (left) Broad-Winged Skipper (right)
Photo by Jared Satchell Retrieved from Maryland Biodiversity ProjectThe female Rare Skipper has been reported to lay about 20 eggs on the short wide leaves of their host plant Big Cordgrass (Sporobolus cynosuroides) which is found only on the coastal plains (1, 6). They may also lay their eggs on Giant Cutgrass (Zizaniopsis miliacea) or Annual Wildrice (Zizania aquatica) (6). They do not typically lay their eggs on the Giant Cutgrass due to its endangered status and an S1 rank in Maryland (6). Newly hatched eggs are flattened and hemispheric with a cream color that eventually turns more yellow (1). As newly hatched larva are greenish-white with black heads. Eventually, they become a pale green with a faint blue-green dorsal stripe (1). Each segment on the dorsal side consists of paired dark spots and covering the entire body there are smaller dots. Their head changes from black in their earlier stage to a light brown with light vertical markings (1).
As an adult in Maryland, this species is commonly observed on Common Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) (2). They are known to have a single brood with a flight period from late June to early July (2).
The Rare Skipper stays along tidal marshes and around brackish waters (1, 2). They prefer to stay where their favored hostplant, the Big Cordgrass which can only be found in coastal plains
Data from Maryland Biodiversity Project. Includes historical records and may overrepresent the current range of the species.
The reduction of habitat destruction and modification and instead the preservation of our coastal wetlands will help the survival of this species (5).
© 2020 Price Lab for Entomology, Courtney Rogall