Pest Profile Photo credit: Charles T. Bryson, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Common Name: Fiery Skipper Scientific Name: Hylephila phyleaus Order and Family: Lepidoptera, Hesperiidae Size and Appearance: Length (mm) Appearance white and pearlescent when first laid but develop blue hue after Egg 0.75 x 0.52 a couple of days 2.0 – 29.9 first instars green, darker brown in later instars (larvae) large, black, constricted segment behind the head capsule Larva/Nymph 0.4 – 3 (head three dark lateral stripes capsule) short, knobbed antennae orange and brown patterned wings 3 – 4 females: larger size of brown patches on both underside of the Adult (wingspan) wings males: edges of the wings have black marginal markings Pupa (if yellow green before maturing into brown color applicable) Type of feeder (Chewing, sucking, etc.): Larvae have chewing mouthparts. Adults have siphoning mouthparts. Host plant/s: Adults visit a wide variety of flowers. The larvae have been known to feed on Bermudagrass, dallisgrass, St. Augustinegrass, hairy crabgrass, bentgrass, teal lovegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, sugarcane, and broadleaf carpetgrass. Description of Damage (larvae and adults): Larvae damage grass by feeding or chewing their leaves. The damage is usually seen from May through September and begins as brown spots of lawn. Spots may join together to form large, irregular dead patches. Also, the larvae roll and tie leaves to make nests, which tend to be horizontal in lawn settings. Reference: Barton, B. (2004) “Hylephila phyleus” (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved from https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Hylephila_phyleus/ Griffith, T.B. and J.L. Gillet-Kaufman. (2017) Fiery Skipper, Hylephila phyleus. Entomology & Nematology. University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History. EENY-697 Retrieved from https://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/BFLY/fiery_skipper.htm .