Grass demon
The Grass demon's caterpillars feed on ginger and turmeric relatives, and the adult flies fast and low with a bold white patch marking each dark hindwing.
| Where | Gardens, parks and forest edges |
|---|---|
| Size | 37 to 48 mm wingspan |
| When | January to December |
The Grass demon is a fast dark brown skipper with large white translucent spots scattered across the forewing and one bold white patch filling much of the hindwing. A faint pale band crosses the antenna just below the club.
Caterpillars feed on plants in the ginger and spiral flag families, rolling leaves into tubes where they rest by day, and adults visit flowers for nectar while basking with wings spread open.
Traits
Habitat
Garden
Colour
Black, White
Active
Day
To people
Fast and easily disturbed; safe to observe or photograph up close.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Shows a curved white band across the forewing only, without the large solid white patch that fills much of the hindwing in the Grass demon.
Questions
Is the Grass demon dangerous to people?
Fast and easily disturbed; safe to observe or photograph up close.
When can you see the Grass demon?
The Grass demon can be seen from January to December, 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›Udaspes
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.