Suppose it were perfectly certain that the life and fortune of every one of us would one day or other depend upon his
                      winning or losing a game of chess. Don't you think that we should all consider it to be a primary duty to learn at least
                      the names and the moves of the pieces . . .
                                                                                        -T.H.Huxley, 1868

Many butterfly enthusiasts are stymied by the skippers. Most skippers, however, are readily identifiable in the field with the aid of close focusing binoculars. While there are a few legitimate identification problems among our skippers, most have definitive markings that will enable you to identify these butterflies quickly and with confidence.

Similar looking skippers as well as species that regularly fly together in the same habitat are placed together here to allow for contrast and comparison. This video presentation will give you a head start with skipper identification but the printed field guide is the most effective field tool (see Reference link below). Besides a familiarity with butterfly terminology, an awareness of relative size is extremely useful in identifying skippers. Knowing the flight periods for the various species in your area is also important.

A special note of thanks goes to Erik Nielsen and Mike Nelson for their help and advice with the online edition. All video is the property of Richard K. Walton and all rights are reserved.