Observation of the week – August 10-16, 2019

A Peck’s Skipper, seen by @carl-adam, is our Observation of the Week for August 10th to 16th: https://inaturalist.ca/observations/30774271

Peck’s Skipper is our most commonly observed native skipper species, and it is currently tied with the introduced European Skipper for the number of observations in this year’s blitz.

I have to admit that I didn’t think very much of Peck’s Skipper before this year, but I have been charmed by this little brown butterfly during our blitz. I like the colour pattern on the underside of the wings, which is more interesting and distinctive than many of our other grass skippers. The ID note that I read in my Butterflies Through Binoculars field guide has stuck with me: Peck’s is a pointer, referring to the middle cell in the lighter area on the underside of the hindwing which points out towards the edge.

Peck’s Skipper can be found in both disturbed and more natural grassy areas – this year in our blitz it has been found in both Mississauga parks as well as northern watershed conservation areas. In addition, while Peck’s Skipper only has one generation per year in much of Ontario, in our region and areas further south it has two generations.

This extended life cycle plus its generalist habitat preferences are what makes it one of our most commonly observed skippers. And when I go out to look for butterflies in a disturbed area and I’m not finding very much, the sight of a few Peck’s Skippers can brighten my day and make me feel like my effort was worthwhile.

Have you gained a fondness for any particular species this summer? Let us know!

Posted on August 16, 2019 01:42 PM by lltimms lltimms

Comments

Pecks skipper seem to be fairly abundant in my garden around June and now in August. I assume the caterpillars are feeding on the lawn grasses and the adults seem to have a fondness for nectering on the coneflowers.

Posted by carl-adam over 4 years ago

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