Essex skipper butterfly and other skipper species in Alberta

Essex skipper photographed in Leduc, Alberta.

There are about 70 species of skipper across Canada.  Alberta showcases around 48 of them.  A skipper is a Lepidopteran, but is slightly different from both moths and butterflies.  It has a few characteristics common to both such as clubbed antennae and vertically held wings (butterflies) and small head with a shortened body (moths).  Unlike moths though, the skippers do not have a connection between fore and hind wings (called a frenulum - how's that for the word of the day?).  This they have in common with butterflies.

I photographed the Esses skipper yesterday in Leduc.  While visiting Cypress Hills, I photographed two other species of the same family.  You can see them below.

Two skipper species I photographed in Cypress Hills, Alberta.

Most skippers have a pair of hooked antennae as shown in the image below.  I have photographed skippers in the Lower Mainland, Cypress Hills, Leduc, and Edmonton.  They all (that I have seen) have the hooked antennae you can see.

Notice the hooked antennae on all the skipper species on this page.  
Left:  Common road side skipper (Edmonton)  Center:  Woodland skipper (Maple Ridge)

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com


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