Thursday, August 30, 2007

Sachem

This butterfly is a sachem, a species of grass skipper. I found and photographed it in my neighborhood. Skippers are a tough group to identify because the butterflies look very similar and the field marks are usually subtle details. I have seen two other skipper species near my home - silver-spotted and zabulon. I imagine there are others around; I have heard that broad-winged skipper is also common in this area.