Two-Spotted Skipper

S1

Two-Spotted Skipper

Scientific Name

(Euphyes bimacula)

The Two-Spotted Skipper is a small butterfly in the Hesperiidae family, also known as the "Grass Skippers" (1). In the summer, you can spot them in wet habitats such as meadows, bogs, and marshes (2). Records show they inhabit coastal Georgia northward to Southern Canada and westward to Colorado (1). Unfortunately, those that are found in the northeastern range of the United States are declining (3) and in Maryland, the Two-Spotted Skipper is highly state rare with a ranking of S1 (4).

Photo by Jeffrey S. PippenRetrieved from www.jeffpippen.com

Identification

Adults have pointed forewings (5), an unmarked brown upper hindwing and orange-brown underside with pale veins. There is also a white fringe on the underside hindwings. Males and females can be distinguished from one another by their upper forewings. Females have 2 pale spots while the males have a narrow reddish-orange band (1).

FemalePhoto by Jeffrey S. PippenRetrieved from www.jeffpippen.com

MalePhoto by Jeffrey S. PippenRetrieved from www.jeffpippen.com

Life Cycle

Adult flight period in the north is from June-July and and in the south they have two broods from May-August (5).

Males spend their time perched in low areas awaiting females (1). Females lay over one hundred eggs on the underside of their host plants, Tussock Sedge (Carex stricta), and Hairy-fruit Sedge (Carex trichocarpa) (3, 4). Hairy-fruit Sedge is rare in Maryland (4). Larvae spend their time eating leaves and taking shelter in rolled leaves. (1).

Photo by Doug Taron.

Habitat

In Maryland, the Two-Spotted Skipper visits bogs, wet sedge meadows, and marshes (2). Adults fly from May to early July frequenting New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis), Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), and Pickerel weed (Pontederia cordata) (1, 2).

For more photographs of the Two-Spotted Skipper, visit

https://www.jeffpippen.com/butterflies/twospottedskipper.htm

Distribution in Maryland:

Data from Maryland Biodiversity Project. Includes historical records and may overrepresent the current range of the species.

Larval Host Plant

Photo by Frank MayfieldLicensed under: cc-by-sa-2.0

Tussock Sedge

Plants Visited by Adults

Photo retrieved from Wiki images Licensed under: CC BY-SA 3.0

Pickerel Weed

Photo retrieved from Wiki imagesLicensed under: CC BY-SA 3.0

Common Milkweed

Photo retrieved from Wiki imagesLicensed under: CC BY-SA 3.0

New York Ironweed

For Global Distribution, visit

Butterflies and Moths of North America (https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Euphyes-bimacula).

How can you help?

The Two-spotted skipper is most threatened by draining and ditching in marshland, and overgrazing (3). If you spot a Two-spotted skipper, upload an image to inaturalist for identification, and be sure to report the finding to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

References

Scott, J. A. 1977. The butterflies of North America: A natural history and field guide. Stanford University Press. pp. 456.
Davis, L. and R. Smith. 2014. Butterflies of Maryland: A biological checklist. Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Heritage Division. https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Documents/butterfliesofmaryland_biological-summary_checklist.pdf.
Heiser, E. 2011. New Jersey Endangered and Threatened Species Field Guide. Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/species/fieldguide/view/Euphyes%20bimacula/. Last accessed 11 October 2020.
Maryland Biodiversity. 2020. Euphyes bimacula (Grote & Robinson, 1867). https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/view/626. Last accessed 11 October 2020.
Butterflies and Moths of North America. 2020. Two-spotted Skipper Euphyes bimacula (Grote & Robinson, 1867) https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Euphyes-bimacula. Last accessed 16 October 2020.

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