Windwolf
Crex Meadows Butterflies ... Least Skipper
Least Skipper
Ancyloxypha numitor
The Least skipper is one of the smallest of the skippers found in Crex Meadows.
There were many in the grasses on the southwest side of Crex this day in June.
Photographing these guys turned into more of a challenge by their habit of resting on the grasses, which also provide many blurry images from grasses outside of the viewfinders read.
The underside of the forewing can be very dark with the rusty brown border. The top of the forewing can also be very dark, but will have a wide black band even with lighter individuals. The veins on the underside of the rear wing do stand out well in fresh individuals. The black border of the hindwing is very wide.
The Least Skipper is sometimes be confused with the European Skipper when new to either of these species.
Wing span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).
Caterpillar hosts: Various grasses including marsh millet (Zizaniopsis miliacea), rice cutgrass (Leersia oryzoides), and cultivated rice (Oryza sativa).
Females lay eggs singly on grass blades. Caterpillars feed on leaves and rest in nests of rolled or tied leaves. Third- and fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Habitat: Moist or wet open places with tall grasses, marshes, ditches, slow streams, hillsides, or old fields with tall grasses. Least skippers seem to always be found near water of some type.
Pictures taken June 26, 2008
| Kingdom | Animalia | (Animals) |
| Phylum | Arthropoda | (Arthropods) |
| Superclass | Hexapoda | (Hexapods) |
| Class | Insecta | (Insects) |
| Subclass | Pterygota | (Winged Insects) |
| Order | Lepidoptera | (Butterflies and Moths) |
| Superfamily | Papilionoidea | (Butterflies) |
| Family | Hesperiidae | (Skippers) |
| Subfamily | Hesperiinae | (Grass Skippers) |
| Genus | Ancyloxypha | |
| Species | numitor | (Least Skipper) |