Description
 The Arctic skipper has a wingspan of 1 to 1.25 inches. The uppersides of its wings are dark brown with large orange spots and patches. The underside of its wings are tan to dark brown with white to cream colored spots edged in dark brown.
Range
 In North America, the Arctic skipper is found
from central Alaska south to central California, in the Rocky Mountain region south to Wyoming, in the Great Lakes states, and in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New England. The Arctic skipper is found in New Hampshire.
Habitat
The Arctic skipper
is found in moist meadows, bogs, grassy forest openings, and at the edges of streams. |
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Diet
The Arctic skipper caterpillar eats a variety of grasses, including
purple reedgrass. The adult Arctic skipper eats nectar from flowers including
wild iris and Jacob's ladder.
Lifecycle
 The female Arctic skipper lays single eggs on the leaves of a host grass plant from May to July. The eggs hatch in around 10 days. The
larvae binds together leaves from the host plat with silk to make a shelter. It overwinters encased in its leaf home. When it emerges in the spring, it may rest for up to a week before it begins
pupating. It emerges as a butterfly 5-6 weeks after
pupating.
Behavior
The Arctic skipper is also found in Europe and Asia. In
Britain
it is known as the
Chequered Skipper. It was once a common species, but now its is only found in a small part of western Scotland. |
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