Maine is home to 35 species in 19 genera. If you know which species you have or are interested in learning about, click on the appropriate link from the species list below. Otherwise, to determine which genus your skipper belongs to, refer to the table below the species list.
Epargyreus (1 species)
Epargyreus clarus - silver-spotted skipper
Urbanus (1 species)
Urbanus proteus - long-tailed skipper
Thorybes (2 species)
Thorybes pylades - northern cloudywing
Thorybes bathyllus - southern cloudywing
Erynnis (4 species)
Erynnis icelus - dreamy duskywing
Erynnis baptisiae - wild indigo duskywing
Erynnis briza - sleepy duskywing
Erynnis juvenalis - Juvenal’s duskywing
Pholisora (1 species)
Pholisora catullus - common sootywing
Carterocephalus (1 species)
Carterocephalus palaemon - arctic skipper
Ancyloxypha (1 species)
Ancyloxypha numitor - least skipper
Thymelicus (1 species)
Thymelicus lineola - European skipper
Hylephila (1 species)
Hylephila phyleus - fiery skipper
Hesperia (4 species)
Hesperia comma - Laurentian skipper
Hesperia leonardus - Leonard’s skipper
Hesperia metea - cobweb skipper
Hesperia sassacus - Indian skipper
Polites (4 species)
Polites peckius - Peck’s skipper
Polites themistocles - tawny-edged skipper
Polites origenes - crossline skipper
Polites mystic - long dash
Wallengrenia (2 species)
Wallengrenia egremet - northern broken-dash
Wallengrenia otho - southern broken-dash
Pompeius (1 species)
Pompeius verna - little glassywing
Anatrytone (1 species)
Anatrytone logan - Delaware skipper
Poanes (3 species)
Poanes hobomok - Hobomok skipper
Poanes massasoit - mulberry wing
Poanes viator - broad-winged skipper
Euphyes (3 species)
Euphyes bimacula - two-spotted skipper
Euphyes conspicua - black dash skipper
Euphyes vestris - dun skipper
Amblyscirtes (2 species)
Amblyscirtes hegon - pepper and salt skipper
Amblyscirtes vialis - common roadside skipper
Atrytonopsis (1 species)
Atrytonopsis hianna - dusted skipper
Panoquina (1 species)
Panoquina ocola - ocola skipper
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | principal wing color(s) | secondary wing coor(s) | char. 3 | char. 4 | wingspan (mm) | special features |
| Epargyreus clarus | brown-black | transparent gold forewing spots; metallic silver band on underside of hindwing | 49–67 | |||
| Urbanus proteus | black-brown | iridescent blue-green | 47–59 | tailed | ||
| Thorybes | 33–46 | |||||
| Erynnis | 30–50 | |||||
| Pholisora catullus | black | 26–33 | ||||
| Carterocephalus palaemon | 26–33 | |||||
| Ancyloxypha numitor | 22–28 | |||||
| Thymelicus lineola | burnt orange | 25–29 | ||||
| Hylephila phyleus | 32–38 | |||||
| Hesperia | 29–45 | |||||
| Polites | 23–38 | |||||
| Wallengrenia | 25–37 | |||||
| Pompeius verna | 27–37 | |||||
| Anatrytone logan | 25–42 | |||||
| Poanes | 29–56 | |||||
| Euphyes | 28–41 | |||||
| Amblyscirtes | 25–30 | |||||
| Atrytonopsis hianna | 35–42 | |||||
| Panoquina ocola | hindwing unspotted | 34–42 |
Epargyreus (skipper)
[information to be added]
Epargyreus clarus (silver-spotted skipper) - [information to be added]
(photos by Carol Muth; click on an image to enlarge)
Urbanus (skipper)
[information to be added]
Urbanus proteus (long-tailed skipper) - [information to be added]
Thorybes (cloudywing)
[information to be added]
| arrangement of hyaline spots on forewing | range | wingspan (mm) | |
| T. pylades | in triangular pattern | statewide | 35–46 |
| T. bathyllus | in straight line | extreme southwestern Maine (York and Oxford counties) |
33–47 |
Thorybes pylades (northern cloudywing) - [information to be added]
Thorybes bathyllus (southern cloudywing) - [information to be added]
Erynnis (duskywing)
[information to be added]
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | principal color(s) | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | wingspan (mm) | char. 6 |
| E. icelus | 30–38 | |||||
| E. baptisiae | 36–41 | |||||
| E. briza | 35–45 | |||||
| E. juvenalis | 38–50 |
Erynnis icelus (dreamy duskywing) - [information to be added]
Erynnis baptisiae (wild indigo duskywing) - [information to be added]
Erynnis briza (sleepy duskywing) - [information to be added]
Erynnis juvenalis (Juvenal’s duskywing) - [information to be added]
Pholisora (sootywing)
[information to be added]
Pholisora catullus (common sootywing) - [information to be added]
Carterocephalus (skipper)
[information to be added]
Carterocephalus palaemon (arctic skipper) - The subspecies that has been reported from Maine is mandan.
Ancyloxypha (skipper)
[information to be added]
Ancyloxypha numitor (least skipper) - [information to be added]
Thymelicus (skipper)
[information to be added]
Thymelicus lineola (European skipper) - [information to be added]
Hylephila (skipper)
[information to be added]
Hylephila phyleus (fiery skipper) - [information to be added]
Hesperia (skipper)
[information to be added]
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | wingspan (mm) | char. 6 |
| H. comma | 29–38 | |||||
| H. leonardus | 37–45 | |||||
| H. metea | 29–35 | |||||
| H. sassacus | 31–35 |
Hesperia comma (Laurentian skipper) - The subspecies that has been reported from Maine is laurentina.
Hesperia leonardus (Leonard’s skipper) - [information to be added]
Hesperia metea (cobweb skipper) - [information to be added]
Hesperia sassacus (Indian skipper) - [information to be added]
Polites (skipper)
[information to be added]
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | wingspan (mm) | char. 6 |
| P. peckius | 25–31 | |||||
| P. themistocles | 23–36 | |||||
| P. origenes | 30–38 | |||||
| P. mystic | 30–38 |
Polites peckius (Peck’s skipper) - [information to be added]
Polites themistocles (tawny-edged skipper) - [information to be added]
Polites origenes (crossline skipper) - [information to be added]
Polites mystic (long dash) - [information to be added]
Wallengrenia (broken-dash)
[information to be added]
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | wingspan (mm) | char. 6 | |
| W. egremet | 25–37 | |||||
| W. otho | 25–35 |
Wallengrenia egremet (northern broken-dash) - [information to be added]
Wallengrenia otho (southern broken-dash) - [information to be added]
Pompeius (glassywing)
[information to be added]
Pompeius verna (little glassywing) - [information to be added]
Anatrytone (skipper)
[information to be added]
Anatrytone logan (Delaware skipper) - [information to be added]
Poanes (skipper)
[information to be added]
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | wingspan (mm) | char. 6 |
| P. hobomok | 34–42 | |||||
| P. massasoit | 29–36 | |||||
| P. viator | 32–56 |
Poanes hobomok (Hobomok skipper) - [information to be added]
Poanes massasoit (mulberry wing) - [information to be added]
Poanes viator (broad-winged skipper) - The subspecies that has been reported from Maine is zizaniae.
Euphyes (skipper)
[information to be added]
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | wingspan (mm) | char. 6 |
| E. bimacula | 35–41 | |||||
| E. conspicua | 32–40 | |||||
| E. vestris | 28–35 |
Euphyes bimacula (two-spotted skipper) - [information to be added]
Euphyes conspicua (black dash skipper) - [information to be added]
Euphyes vestris (dun skipper) - The subspecies that has been reported from Maine is metacomet.
Amblyscirtes (skipper)
[information to be added]
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | wingspan (mm) | char. 6 | |
| A. hegon | 25–30 | |||||
| A. vialis | 25–30 |
Amblyscirtes hegon (pepper and salt skipper) - [information to be added]
Amblyscirtes vialis (common roadside skipper) - [information to be added]
Atrytonopsis (skipper)
[information to be added]
Atrytonopsis hianna (dusted skipper) - [information to be added]
Panoquina (skipper)
[information to be added]
Panoquina ocola (Ocola skipper) - [information to be added]