A very large and confounding group of animals, the skippers sometimes prove to be a challenge to identify, even for experts.  The skippers differ from other butterflies in having the club of the antenna bent, stout bodies, small wings compared to body size and are very fast flyers.  I call them wind-up toys on speed.

This group contains mostly small brownish orange butterflies many with white spots.  Many males in this group have a scent patch, called a stigma, on the upperside of the forewing.  These butterflies commonly adopt a unique pose where the forewings are opened at less of an angle than the hindwings.  I call this “airplaning” since they give the appearance of a jet fighter plane.

Fiery Skipper, (Hylephila phyleus)
Sachem, (Atalopedes campestris)
Least Skipper, (Ancyloxypha numitor)
Orange Skipperling, (Copaeodes aurantiaca)
Garita Skipperling, (Oarisma garita)
Clouded Skipper, (Lerema accius)
Swarthy Skipper, (Nastra lherminier)
Plains Branded Skipper, (Hesperia assiniboia)
Pahaska Skipper, (Hesperia pahaska)
Leonard’s (Pawnee) Skipper, [Hesperia leonardus (pawnee)]
Dakota Skipper, (Hesperia dacotae)
Uncas Skipper, (Hesperia uncas)
Long Dash, (Polites mystic)
Tawny-Edged Skipper, (Polites themistocles)
Crossline Skipper, (Polites origenes)
Southern Broken-Dash, (Wallengrenia otho)
Northern Broken-Dash, (Wallengrenia egeremet)
Little Glassywing, (Pompeius verna)
Dun Skipper, (Euphyes vestris)
Dion Skipper, (Euphyes dion)
Woodland Skipper, (Ochlodes sylvanoides)
Hobomok Skipper, (Poanes hobomok)
Zabulon Skipper, (Poanes zabulon)
Yehl Skipper, (Poanes yehl)
Mulberry Wing, (Poanes massasoit)
Broad-Winged Skipper, (Poanes viator)
Delaware Skipper, (Anatrytone logan)
Arogos Skipper, (Atrytone arogos)
Dusted Skipper, (Atrytonopsis hianna)
Common Roadside-Skipper, (Amblyscirtes vialis)
Pepper and Salt Skipper, (Amblyscirtes hegon)
Bell’s Roadside-Skipper, (Amblyscirtes belli)
Celia’s Roadside-Skipper, (Amblyscirtes celia)
Lace-Winged Roadside-Skipper, (Amblyscirtes aesculapius)
Bronze Roadside-Skipper, (Amblyscirtes aenus)
Oslar’s Roadside-Skipper, (Amblyscirtes oslari)
Nysa Roadside-Skipper, (Amblyscirtes nysa)
Eufala Skipper, (Lerodea eufala)
Ubiquitous Skipper, (Callimormus saturnus)
Sergestus Ruby-Eye, (Talides sergestus)
Saliana  sp.
Canna Skipper, (Quinta cannae)
Unknown Grass Skippers