Umber skipper
During courtship the female sits still and vibrates her wings while the male flies looping circles around her, sometimes for several minutes.
| Where | Grassy areas, roadsides and yards |
|---|---|
| Size | 32 to 35 mm wingspan |
| When | March to October |
The Umber skipper has umber brown wings above, with a row of pale spots on the forewing and a light yellow brown band on the hindwing. Like other grass skippers it rests with its wings held at different angles rather than flat together.
Two generations fly each year, with caterpillars feeding on grasses such as Bermuda grass and building shelters from rolled or tied leaves. Adults visit flowers for nectar in grassy areas, roadsides and gardens from spring into autumn.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Brown, Orange
Active
Day
To people
Visits garden and roadside flowers for nectar and poses no risk to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Males have bright orange hindwings edged with jagged, flame-like dark borders, unlike the Umber skipper's plain umber brown wings with only a pale spot band.
Questions
Is the Umber skipper dangerous to people?
Visits garden and roadside flowers for nectar and poses no risk to people.
When can you see the Umber skipper?
The Umber skipper can be seen from March to October, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Chuck Harp, Colorado State University, C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity, CC0, GBIF Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Skippers›Lon
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.