Bug FAQSouthern Skipperling
Copaeodes minima · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Hesperiidae
The southern skipperling is a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 16 to 22 mm. It lives from Arkansas east to North Carolina, through the Gulf States, Texas, Florida, Mexico and down to Panama. Caterpillars feed on the grass Cynodon dactylon, while adults sip nectar from flowers such as Helenium tenuifolium. In Louisiana there are two generations with adults flying from March to October, and in Florida adults can be seen all year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Copaeodes minima, known as the southern skipperling, belongs to the butterfly family Hesperiidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 16 to 22 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on the grass Cynodon dactylon. Adults drink nectar from various flowers, including Helenium tenuifolium.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There are two generations in Louisiana, with adults on the wing from March through October. In Florida adults can be seen throughout the entire year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species occurs in the United States and extends southward to Panama.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 12 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Alabama, Arizona.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What flowers do adult southern skipperlings visit?
Adults sip nectar from a variety of flowers, such as Helenium tenuifolium.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see adult southern skipperlings in Louisiana?
Adults are on the wing from March to October, with two generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Are southern skipperlings present year-round in any state?
Yes, adults are on wing throughout the year in Florida.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Hesperiidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copaeodes_minima
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.