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Woodland Skipper
Ochlodes sylvanoides
47.2316, -123.968
Field Notes
Description:
They look like butterflies, but they don't fly quite the same as other butterflies. When they fly, there's a skipping sounds coming from their wings. They're orange in color. From the website linked on this page, "Upperside is orange with toothed brown borders. Forewing has a black stigma (male) or a black diagonal band (female). Hindwing has a large reddish patch. Underside varies from yellow to reddish to brown; hindwing varies from unmarked to having a distinct band of cream to yellow spots."
Habitat:
They really like the flowers on my Chocolate Mint! (Mentha piperita). Grassy areas in chaparral, sagebrush, woodland, gardens, and small streams.
Notes:
I had a difficult time identifying this species. Thank you to the lady who suggested skipper. From there, I had to figure out if it was a Woodland Skipper, Mardon Skipper or Sanoran Skipper. I'm fairly certain it's not Mardon, because that species is uncommon. I have no reason to think it's not Sanoran, but I have a few reasons to suspect it's Woodland. It looks a lot like other pictures of Woodland, and the Woodland is supposed to be common this time of year (late August - October).
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