Habitat
The dun skipper is found in moist areas including woodland edges, roadsides, bogs, gardens, meadows, stream edges, and swamp edges.
Diet
The dun skipper caterpillar eats a variety of sedges, including
sun sedge and
chufa flatsedge. The adult dun skipper eats nectar from
white, pink, or purple flowers including
fireweed, common milkweed, purple vetch,
lotus, selfheal, peppermint, dogbane, and New Jersey tea.
Lifecycle
In the northern part of its range the dun skipper has one brood from June to August. In the southern part of its range it may have two broods between May and September, in the deep south is may have more than two broods from March through October. The female dun skipper lays single eggs on the leaves of a host grass plant. The
larvae binds together leaves from the host plant with silk to make a shelter. The last brood of the season overwinters encased in its leaf home.
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The dun skipper is found
from Maine south to Florida and west to Washington and California. It is also found in southern Canada and northern Mexico.)