Small branded swift
Caterpillars roll and stitch rice and other grass leaves into tubes with silk before eating them, making this skipper a recognised pest of rice and millet.
| Where | Grassland and farmland across East Asia |
|---|---|
| Size | 32 to 41 mm wingspan |
| When | March and May to November |
This is a small, stocky brown skipper; males show a narrow dark brand running across the middle of the forewing that females lack, though females show extra small white spots instead. The related Parnara guttata has a straighter, more evenly spaced row of white forewing spots.
Caterpillars build a rolled leaf shelter on rice, millet and other grasses, feeding inside it, which lets larvae develop even on cultivated crops in farmland and open grassy ground.
Traits
Habitat
Farmland
Colour
Brown
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to people; caterpillars are a minor pest of rice and millet crops.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Has a straighter, more evenly spaced row of white forewing spots than the Small branded swift, whose males also show a narrow dark brand across the forewing.
Questions
Is the Small branded swift dangerous to people?
Harmless to people; caterpillars are a minor pest of rice and millet crops.
When can you see the Small branded swift?
The Small branded swift can be seen from March and May to November, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Skippers›Pelopidas
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.