About Euphyes vestris (Boisduval, 1852)
Euphyes vestris, commonly known as the dun skipper, sedge witch, or dun sedge skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae.
In North America, this species is distributed from Nova Scotia westward across southern Canada to southern Alberta, and extends south to Florida, the Gulf Coast, and eastern Texas. Disjunct populations also exist in the High Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and along the Pacific Coast.
The wingspan of adult Euphyes vestris ranges from 29 to 35 mm. The upperside of the head and thorax is yellow-orange, and the wings are brown-black. Male individuals have a black stigma on the forewing, while female individuals have very small cloudy white spots on the forewing.
Adults have one generation per year, and are active on the wing during July. They feed on nectar from white, pink, and purple flowers, including Asclepias syriaca, Vicia americana, Prunella, Mentha × piperita, Apocynum, Ceanothus americanus, and Echium vulgare. The larvae feed on various sedges, including Cyperus esculentus and Carex heliophila.
