Posted by Melanie Christenson on June 22, 2007

Q: I think this is a butterfly (not a moth). There are just tons of these out right now. I'm having a hard time finding a good site or place to identify the many small butterflies out there. They have really been enjoying the clover and the orange hawkweed. I'll attach a couple of pics. Thanks for the help!

Habitat: field/meadow

State: Wisconsin

Habitat: field/meadow

A: Thanks for the photos - makes a big difference to help with making an ID! Your animal is a European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola), an introduced species from Europe. Although considered a butterfly by many, the skippers are different than "typical" butterflies. Skippers make up about one third of all butterflies (family Hesperiidae) with small, stout bodies, wide heads, bent club of their antennae, and relatively small wings.

Your particular species is a member of the Grass Skippers that do not sit with their wings flat but have a characteristic posture called the "jet-plane position". The European Skipper feeds on Timothy Grass as a caterpillar and can be quite abundant in fields where this plant is mixed with wildflowers. Thanks for writing.

John Wiessinger ( June 22, 2007)