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Broad-winged Skipper (Poanes viator)

Family: Hesperiidae
FNAI State Rank: S2S3

Range: Florida Panhandle south to Levy County
Seasonal Occurrence: March through May, August through October

Habitat: edges of waterbodies in proximity to wild rice
Host Plants: wild rice (Zizania aquatica)

The Broad-winged Skipper flies more slowly than many of the other grass skippers. Its flight has been described as floppy because the butterfly drops in height between each wingbeat.

Information on seasonal occurrence and host plant in Florida is extracted from Glassberg et al. (2000) Butterflies through Binoculars: Florida, Oxford University Press, and Cech et al. (2005) Butterflies of the East Coast: An Observer's Guide, Princeton University Press.