The Rural Skippers scientific name is Ochlodes Agricola. There forewing is about 10-13 mm. The females have a sort of frosted trailing edge. The males are solid orange on the under wing. Most are found in the Santa Ana mountains in California. The Rural Skipper is orange and gets red at the ends, and is black at the edges.

 

The Rural Skipper gets it’s food in flowers which is the nectar. The butterfly doesn’t have any completion because they and the honey bees have enough nectar for both of them. The Rural Skipper avoids getting eaten by rock piles, log piles, and open buildings which also avoids winds. You could probably find a Rural Skipper in your backyard, porches, or in office courtyards.

 

The Rural Skippers niche is like grassy fields, gardens, and sunny wildflowers. The butterfly does well in that ecosystem because it helps them from winds and predators (if there are any). The Rural Skipper is found probably around North America.

 

The Rural Skipper is growing not shrinking. The change is a baby caterpillar to a grown butterfly or an adult. There are about 3,500 species of the hesperidia.

 

What stood out to me from the Rural Skipper was how they don’t usually compete for their food because there is enough nectar for them and the honey bees. Also they could be found in tall grasses or in your own garden. I learned that the Rural Skipper lives in the Santa Ana Mountains. I also learned that there is 3,500 species of them. It was fun learning about the Ochlodes Agricola or the Rural Skipper

 

Author: Katarina E.

Published: Feb. 2010

 

Sources:

http://www.ask.com/

http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/hesper/rural.htm

http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=2109

http://butterfly.ucdavis.edu/butterfly/Ochlodes/agricola

http://socalbutterflies.com/hesp.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

 

Photo Credit: 

Edward S. Ross

05/2010