Common straight swift
Although its wings look plain brown, this skipper's hindwing carries four silvery white spots that show clearly even at rest, and its caterpillars feed on rice.
| Where | Rice paddies, parks and gardens |
|---|---|
| Size | 15 to 22 mm forewing length |
| When | May to October |
The Common straight swift has a plain, yellowish brown body and forewings marked with pale spots, while the underside of the hindwing carries four bright silvery white spots; forewing length is about 15 to 22 mm.
Adults fly from around late spring to autumn, visiting flowers, rotting fruit and damp ground for moisture, while caterpillars feed on grasses including rice, making the species a recognised pest of rice paddies across its range in eastern Asia.
Traits
Habitat
Farmland
Colour
Brown, White
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to people; a plant-feeding butterfly whose caterpillars can damage rice crops rather than affect people directly.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Distinguished by fewer and smaller white spots that are pure white rather than the ochre-tinted white spots of the Common straight swift, and by the absence of an extra spot near the forewing's inner margin.
Questions
Is the Common straight swift dangerous to people?
Harmless to people; a plant-feeding butterfly whose caterpillars can damage rice crops rather than affect people directly.
When can you see the Common straight swift?
The Common straight swift can be seen from May to October, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Finnish Museum of Natural History - Zoology Unit, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Skippers›Parnara
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.