''Euphyes berryi'', known as Berry's skipper, is a rare species of

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises ...

of the family

Hesperiidae Skippers are a family of the Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) named the Hesperiidae. Being diurnal, they are generally called butterflies. They were previously placed in a separate superfamily, Hesperioidea; however, the most recent taxonomy ...

, historically found in wet areas from North Carolina to Florida. Another common name proposed for the species is Florida swamp skipper, a name also proposed for a subspecies of ''Euphyes dukesi'', ''Euphyes dukesi calhouni'' Shuey, 1996. Shuey felt that the name was “somewhat inappropriately” proposed by Pyle in 1981 for ''Euphyes berryi'', a species “not endemic to Florida and which is found in open wetlands, not swamps.”

Description

Wingspan of adult males is 36–38 mm, and of adult females is 38–42 mm. Body and head are mostly brownish to fulvous (a dull brownish yellow), antennae black above and fulvous beneath. Male wings are mostly bright fulvous upperside, and darker or brownish fulvous underside, with darker brown borders and some spot patterns. Female wings are mostly black brown upper side, with dark fulvous undersides. Hindwing undersides of both genders distinctly show paler, yellowish fulvous veins. Identification of the species is considered difficult, with individuals of ''Euphyes dion'', ''Euphyes byssus'' and probably other skippers that sometimes lack normal hindwing patterns closely resembling ''Euphyes berryi''.

Range and habitat

''E. berryi'' was historically found in outer coastal plains from North Carolina (north to Dare County) to southern Florida (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida). It may be

extirpated Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...

from portions of its historic range. Its habitat consists of wet areas near ponds and swamps, including wet prairies, marshes, and savannas with pitcher plants.

Ecology

The larvae of ''E. berryi'' feed on various sedges, probably one or more species of ''

Carex ''Carex'' is a vast genus of more than 2,000 species of grass-like plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges (or seg, in older books). Other members of the family Cyperaceae are also called sedges, however those of genus ''Carex'' ...

''. Adults feed on nectar from various flowers, including pickerelweed (genus ''

Pontederia ''Pontederia'' is a genus of tristylous aquatic plants, members of which are commonly known as pickerel weeds. ''Pontederia'' is endemic to the Americas, distributed from Canada to Argentina, where it is found in shallow water or on mud. The gen ...

''). The larvae overwinter, and adults have been reported from March to October, probably from two broods.

Status

''E. berryi''’s

NatureServe conservation status The NatureServe conservation status system, maintained and presented by NatureServe in cooperation with the Natural Heritage Network, was developed in the United States in the 1980s by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) as a means for ranking or catego ...

, last reviewed in 2015, is G1G3, a range from critically imperiled to vulnerable due to significant uncertainty and limited knowledge of its habitat. The rounded average global threat status is G2 (imperiled).

Etymology

''E. berryi'' was named by Ernest Layton Bell “for Mr. Dean F. Berry of Orlando, Florida, who collected most of the specimens.” Bell himself was an amateur but active entomologist and taxonomist.

References

External links

Butterflies of America
photo collection {{Taxonbar, from=Q13624359 Hesperiini Butterflies of North America Butterflies described in 1941