Invertebrate Blogging: Silver-spotted Skipper
This fat fellow is a member of the Pyrginae or "spread-winged skippers," a sub-family of the Hesperiidae or "skippers." He was dining on a wild bergamot blossom in Prospect Park. The name "silver-spotted skipper" refers to different species in North America vs. Europe. This is Epargyreus clarus. The European version is Hesperia comma.
Skippers are name for their flying habits, which are considerably more aerobatic than most other butterflies due to their particularly robust wing muscles. Their club shaped antennae and stout bodies give them a somewhat moth-like appearance.
The last two weeks of July are probably the best weeks of the entire year for butterfly viewing in Brooklyn. Both Prospect Park and the Botanic Garden should be filled with a number of species.
Get out there and take your camera!
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