Three spotted Skipper (Butterfly)
The Three-spotted Skipper (Cymaenes tripunctus) has a wingspan of 1 1/8 – 1 3/8 inches. The wings are a dull dark brown, and the upperside of the forewings (front wings) has three transparent white spots on the edge near the tip and 2-3 spots at the end. The underside of the hindwing (back wing) is yellow-brown with pale spots near the center.
Females lay eggs on top of the host plant’s leaves. The host plant for this species is Guinea grass (Panicum maximum). The caterpillars will eat and live in nests of the rolled leaves. Their habitats are subtropical grassy areas.
Photo Credit: Lynn Marie
Author: Destiny Alvarez – Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Oregon
