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Common Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis)

Family: Hesperiidae
FNAI State Rank: S1S2

Range: Franklin, Liberty, and Okaloosa counties
Seasonal Occurrence: April to May, August to September

Habitat: hardwood hammock margins
Host Plants: grasses (Poaceae)

Despite its common name, this butterfly is extremely rare and elusive within Florida. The white triangular "bracelet" near the top of the forewing, with the widest part of the triangle at the wing margin, is a good field mark for identifying this very small bufferfly. Males perch on or near the ground to wait for females.

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.