''Ochlodes sylvanoides'', the woodland skipper, is a

butterfly Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

of the family

Hesperiidae Skippers are a group of butterflies placed in the family Hesperiidae within the order Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). They were previously placed in a separate superfamily, Hesperioidea, but have since been placed in the superfamily Papilion ...

. It is found in North America from

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

south to southern

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, east to

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

and

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

Description

Uppersides of wings are orange with dark borders. Males have black androconia on their forewings, while females have two dark markings on their forewings. The undersides of the wings are variable, but generally light brown with lighter spots. The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingsp ...

Habitat and behavior

The woodland skipper is found in a wide range of habitats, including woodlands, gardens, and other areas with grasses. The larvae feed on various

Poaceae Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivate ...

species, including ''

Cynodon dactylon ''Cynodon dactylon'', commonly known as Bermuda grass, also known as couch grass in Australia and New Zealand, is a grass found worldwide. It is native to Europe, Africa, Australia and much of Asia. It has been introduced to the Americas. Contra ...

'', ''

Phalaris Phalaris () was the tyrant of Akragas (now Agrigento) in Sicily in Magna Graecia, from approximately 570 to 554 BC. History Phalaris was renowned for his excessive cruelty. Among his alleged atrocities is cannibalism: he was said to have eaten ...

'', '' Elymus'' and ''

Agropyron ''Agropyron'' is a genus of Eurasian plants in the grass family), native to Europe and Asia but widely naturalized in North America. Species in the genus are commonly referred to as wheatgrass. ; Species * '' Agropyron badamense'' - Tajikistan ...

'' species. Adults feed on flower nectar, and are active midsummer to fall.

Subspecies

*''Ochlodes sylvanoides sylvanoides'' (California, Mexico) *''Ochlodes sylvanoides pratincola'' (Boisduval, 1852) *''Ochlodes sylvanoides napa'' (Edwards, 1865) *''Ochlodes sylvanoides bonnevilla'' Scott, 1981 (Nevada) – Bonneville skipper *''Ochlodes sylvanoides orecoasta'' Scott, 1981 (Oregon) – Oregon coast skipper *''Ochlodes sylvanoides santacruza'' Scott, 1981 (northern California) *''Ochlodes sylvanoides omnigena'' Austin, 1998 (Nevada, Great Basin) *''Ochlodes sylvanoides catalina'' Emmel & Emmel, 1998

References

Ochlodes Butterflies described in 1852 Taxa named by Jean Baptiste Boisduval Butterflies of North America Lepidoptera of the United States Lepidoptera of Canada {{Hesperiini-stub