Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus)

It looked like the butterflies were done for the season after the last cool spell. It’s warmed up a little again and, on Sunday, I got a pleasant surprise when I checked out the butterfly bush. At first I thought it was a Silver-spotted Skipper; however, it behaved quite differently. I can normally walk up fairly close to a Silver-spotted Skipper. This butterfly was very skittish and flew off the minute I moved towards it even when I was quite a distance away. Fortunately, it kept coming back.


Suddenly I realized it was a Long-tailed Skipper. The long tail and the blue coloring on the back were a dead giveaway. I had only seen one previously – last year. This was a delightful surprise.

Identification resources:
- West Central Georgia Butterflies by Michael Beohm: Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus)
- BugGuide: Slaty Skimmer Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus) [Top] [Underwing]
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