northeast-flora-and-fauna

Who is Peck, and why does he have a skipper? These are just two questions surrounding this pair of Peck's Skippers . Peck's Skippers are grass skippers , named because the females lay eggs on various types of grass, and as caterpillars they eat those grasses. The females are darker, so I wouldn't be surprised if the one in the front is a female being courted by the male in the back. They were named after William Dandridge Peck , an American naturalist considered to be the first native-born American entomologist. This butterfly wasn't (as fair as we know) his favorite butterfly; it was named after him as an honor rather than because of a personal connection to it. July 27, 2021 at Washington Valley Park Photo 148653335, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Here's a Peck's Skipper . Though not particularly colorful, Peck's Skipper (and all skippers ) are considered to be butterflies. (The clubbed antenna is usually a good indicator of butterfly-ness.) Peck's Skipper is in the Grass Skipper subfamily ; as caterpillars they eat grasses or sedges. Most of the skippers are small, earth-toned butterflies. The yellow patch where the middle one juts further to the back is considered to be a good way to identify this particular skipper. They were named after the guy considered to be the first native born American entomologist, William Dandridge Peck . July 25 at Duke Farms