Windwolf
Crex Meadows Butterflies... Indian Skipper
Indian Skipper
Hesperia sassacus
Wing span: 1 1/4 - 1 3/8 inches (3.2 - 3.5 cm).
Caterpillar hosts: Various grasses including little bluestem (Andropogon scoparius), panic grass (Panicum), and red fescue (Festuca rubra).
Caterpillars live in silken tubes at the base of grass clumps and leave them to feed. Older caterpillars overwinter and in the spring pupate in a loose cocoon.
Habitat: Old brushy fields, pastures, clearings, headlands.
Flight time is mid-end of May through the month of June.
Picture taken May 29, 2009
The picture above and to the left are of the same indiviual. This Indian Skipper seemed very fresh (newly emerged).
Picture taken May 29, 2009.
The underwing pattern of yellow squared spots is a part of the ID for this type of skipper.
Another ID point to look for is the jagged toothed margin on the lower wing. The jagged pattern points inward and can be seen on the picture to the left and on the picture below.
Picture below taken June 11, 2009.
| 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 | Hesperia | |
| Species | sassacus | (Indian Skipper) |
The above pictures are of two different Indian skippers photographed far apart on the same day, June 11, 2009, on Crex Meadows.
The views offer clear ID points on the side shot. The underwing view can sometimes be confused with the Long Dash Skipper, which overlaps its flight time with the Indian Skipper.
ID points to remember:
- yellow spotting on lower hindwing is more squared and has more seperation on the Indian skipper. The Long Dash Skipper has longer yellow rectangles.
- the jagged toothed appearance of the black margin on the upper hindwing is common on Indian Skippers.
- the stigma (black line on upper forewing) is much narrower on the Indian Skipper.