Dukes's Skipper - Hodges#4074
Euphyes dukesi
This record describes Euphyes dukesi (species). Recorded family: Hesperiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Papilionoidea
- Family
- Hesperiidae (Skippers)
- Subfamily
- Hesperiinae
- Tribe
- Hesperiini
- Genus
- Euphyes
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Freshwater or slightly brackish marshes.
Geographic Range
Rare and local. Three populations: Atlantic coast from southeastern Virginia to Florida; lower Mississippi valley from Missouri and Illinois to Texas and Louisiana; and the Lake Erie region from Ontario to Indiana.
Seasonal Activity
In North Carolina, two broods: late May to early July and August to mid September.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Sedges (Carex spp.).
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Euphyes dukesi. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Dukes's Skipper - Hodges#4074 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Troy Bartlett; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz , Will Cook
Frequently Asked Questions About Dukes's Skipper - Hodges#4074
Where is Dukes's Skipper - Hodges#4074 found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Freshwater or slightly brackish marshes. |
| Range | Rare and local. Three populations: Atlantic coast from southeastern Virginia to Florida; lower Mississippi valley from Missouri and Illinois to Texas and Louisiana; and the Lake Erie region from Ontario to Indiana. |
What does Dukes's Skipper - Hodges#4074 eat?
The diet of the Dukes's Skipper - Hodges#4074 includes Sedges (Carex spp.)..
When is Dukes's Skipper - Hodges#4074 active?
Dukes's Skipper - Hodges#4074: seasonal activity - In North Carolina, two broods: late May to early July and August to mid September..