Three-spotted Skipper
Cymaenes tripunctus

Description:
Small butterfly measuring up to 1 3/8" in length. The upperside of the wings is dull dark brown in color with 3 tiny transparent white spots near the tip and 2-3 spots at the end of the cell. The underside is yellow-brown with faint pale spots near the center.
Range:
North America, West Indies, Central America, South America
Distribution and Abundance in Florida:
Habitat(s):
Hammocks and grassy areas.
Reproduction:
Eggs are laid on top of the host plant leaves.
Natural History:
Caterpillars live in nests of rolled leaves.
Food:
Caterpillars feed on leaves of host plants. Larval host plants include native southern crabgrass (Digitaria ciliaris), thin paspalum (Paspalum setaceum), and eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides), nonnative common bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris), guineagrass (Panicum maximum), and paragrass (Urochloa mutica). Nectar host plants include native purple thistle (Cirsium horridulum), blue mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum), narrowleaf yellowtops (Flaveria linearis), and Florida Keys blackbead (Pithecellobium keyense) and the native weedy Spanish-needles (Bidens alba var. radiata).
Comments:
Garden abundance is moderate to high. For more information, visit Butterflies and Moths of North America.
Synonyms:


Beryn Harty, 2018.
Beryn Harty, 2018.
Beryn Harty, 2018.