Little Brown ButtterflyID please

I am not really sure if this is a true butterfly. Can anyone identify it?

Looks like a skipper to me - you can tell it is a butterfly by the clubbed antennae ends. Moths have attenae ends that are frilly, kind of like a mascara brush only much daintier and delicate.

Perhaps someone with more experience can come along and confirm my ID.

~Sunny

kind of looks like a Long-tailed Skipper with its tails broken off. It happens

It looked like a Long Tailed Skipper to me too,
but I didn't know their tails could break off and they could still live..

Weird, because it looks like a LTS to me too. Maybe they didn't grow right? I don't think I've ever seen anything with those colors but the LTS.

It's a skipper but since there are a gazillion of those buggers...it's hard to tell them apart.

It's not a LTS as this one has hindwings edged with white.

Taking note of the wing shape and white fringe on the hindwinds I'd lean towards one of the duskywings or cloudywings - did you notice any markings on the wings when they were open? Any glassy or clear looking spots?

Also looks like a male Dun Skipper as they often have a teal tinge on their backs but Duns don't have white fringe :o)

If it had red eyes I would have quickly said Green-Backed Ruby-Eye :o) but alas...it's missing the red eyes and glassy forewing spots.

Oh well...at least we know it's some kind of skipper :o)

~ Cat

Too many Skippers to choose from! I Googled around a while and lost track of time looking at pics. I never found one just like this but found a great page with some beauties I have never seen!! http://travel.mongabay.com/butterfly_photos.htm I'm in love with this little Clearwinged butterfly that's about 8 pics down on the left! Makes me want to travel around and search for them.

KKB...You ought to try coming to our butterfly festival down in Mission, TX. It starts Oct 19-22. Lots of tours and seminars and loads of fun. We're going to have lots of great speakers again this year. We had sightings of two different clearwing species for the past two years...am hoping we'll see another later in the year.

Here's info on the 11th Annual Butterfly Festival down in the south tip of Texas.

http://www.texasbutterfly.com/

~ Cat

Thank, everyone!

Cat, I would love to come to that, but I just can't. You are just too far away for me. :( It looks like so much fun tho! Please start a thread with pics and info after you go!

I noticed I have them too..I Googled for an hour and couldn't find one that looks like it, but I saw several in the garden today..

I've seen so many of these Long-tailed Skippers over the past couple ofweeks. They love my lantana. After finding out that they use the Beggarweed as a host plant, they must be mating a LOT lately. I have beggarweed popping up all over my yard. I have a Florida native lawn. (Mostly green weeds that we keep under control with the lawnmower! It always looks good even though it is mostly weeds with a little grass mixed in. lol) These butterflies usually won't let me get too close to them. They are very skittish and fast butterflies. I was adding some more lattice to a part of the fence this little guy landed right on the fence next to me. He actually stayed there long enough for me to get my camera and snap this shot!

I always see them in pairs. Never alone. They usually chase and follow each other around. They must be social butterflies not wall butterflies. Or perhaps they mate for life and stay together. The secret lives of Long-tailed Skippers! LOL!

I'm confused...is this the same kind as the one Snuzer posted? If they are LTS, where are their tails? Whatever they are, long tails or not, I'd sure like to see some here.

Often the tails get bit off by lizards/frogs/whatever or they break off over time. Some I see have the long tail and many don't have a tail or it is frayed and torn. They are prettier with their long tail.

Hmm, that's interesting. Poor babies! I just love that turquoise and brown.

Do you grown the Beggarweed for them? Any pics of the plant? I'm hoping to be getting some pea vine seeds to try and attract some.

No! I hate beggarweed. (We call it the hitchhiker weed.) The seeds stick to everything and are really a pain to pull of your clothes or for pets on their fur. I like my butterflies, but I draw the line on THAT plant. It does grow wild in my yard. It's invasive! LOL!

Here's the DG link on beggarweed:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/65634/index.html

Oh well, nevermind! lol! What a shame that it's a host, but an annoying one. I'll try using the vines instead.