North American Butterflies and Moths List

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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of Utah

Edwards' Skipperling (Oarisma edwardsii)
JPG -- species photo

Edwards' Skipperling (Oarisma edwardsii [Barnes])

Wing span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).

Identification: Fringes are white-tipped. Upperside is brownish orange; forewing cell is brighter. Underside of forewing is brownish orange with black at the lower margin. Underside of hindwing is yellowish with orange on the lower margin.

Life history: To find receptive females, males patrol the habitat with rapid flight.

Flight: One brood in the Rocky Mountains from June-August; multiple broods in west Texas from April-September.

Caterpillar hosts: Possibly sedges (Cyperaceae) or grasses (Poaceae).

Adult food: Nectar from flowers including thistle (Cirsium species).

Habitat: Chaparral, open woodland, grasslands, meadows.

Range: Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas south to Puebla, Mexico.

Conservation: Not usually required.

The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

Management needs: None reported.

References:


Bailowitz, R. A., and J. P. Brock. 1991. Butterflies of southeastern Arizona. 

     Sonoran Arthropod Studies, Inc., Tucson, Arizona. 342 pages.



Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford 	University Press, 

     Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.



Stanford, R. E. and P. A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of western USA butterflies including 

     adjacent parts of Canada and Mexico. Denver and Fort Collins, CO. 



Tilden, J. W. 1986. A field guide to western butterflies. Houghton-Mifflin Co., 

     Boston, Mass. 370 pages, 23 color plates.

Author: Jane M. Struttmann

State and Regional References:


Ferris, C.D. and F.M. Brown. 1980. Butterflies of the Rocky Mountain States. 

     University of Oklahoma Press. Norman.



Opler, Paul A. 1999. Peterson Field Guide to Western Butterflies, revised 

     edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.



Stanford, R.E. and P.A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of Western USA Butterflies. 

     Privately published, Denver, Colo. 



Tilden, J.W. and A.C. Smith. 1986. A Field Guide to Western Butterflies. 

     Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.

Edwards' Skipperling (Oarisma edwardsii)
distribution map
map legend

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