Anatrytone logan
Bright yellow-orange grass skipper with dark wing borders and veins. Ranges from the southern Canadian Prairies and southern Ontario through the eastern United States. Larvae feed on big bluestem and switchgrass in moist prairie and meadow habitats.
Seasonal Activity
Diet
Nectar from pink and white flowers including milkweeds (Asclepias), mountain mints (Pycnanthemum), and thistles (adult); foliage of big bluestem and switchgrass (larva)
Lifecycle
Produces multiple broods from February to October in the southern portion of its range, typically a single brood during June-August in northern areas and Canada. Eggs are laid on grass blades. Larvae feed on the foliage of native warm-season grasses, constructing silk shelters at the base of clumps. Overwinters as a partially grown larva. Pupation occurs in spring or early summer.
Ecology
Host Plants
Native Habitats
Details
Description
The Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan) is a medium-sized grass skipper with a wingspan of 2.5-4.3 cm. Both sexes are bright yellow-orange above with bold black wing borders and dark brown veins that create a striking, almost stained-glass pattern. The hindwing border is broader on the leading and trailing edges. The underside is unmarked yellowish-orange with only a narrow dark border on the forewing — a clean, simple appearance that distinguishes it from many other orange skippers with spotted underwings. The antennae have the sharply hooked tips characteristic of the Hesperiinae.
Lifecycle
In Canada and the northern United States, the Delaware Skipper produces a single generation per year with adults on the wing from June through August. In the southern portion of its range, multiple broods occur from February through October. Females lay eggs singly on grass blades. Larvae feed on the foliage of native warm-season grasses, primarily Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) and Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), constructing silk-tied shelters at the base of grass clumps and feeding nocturnally. Larvae overwinter as partially grown caterpillars in their grass shelters, resuming feeding in spring before pupating in early summer.
Ecology
Adults nectar actively on pink and white flowers, with a strong preference for milkweeds (Asclepias spp.), mountain mints (Pycnanthemum spp.), and thistles (Cirsium spp.). Males perch on vegetation in open grassy areas to await females. The species occupies a range of moist, open habitats including tallgrass prairie remnants, sedge meadows, marshes, and even residential landscapes with suitable native grasses. Its broad habitat tolerance — considerably wider than that of prairie-specialist skippers — contributes to its overall security, though it has declined in areas where native grasses have been replaced by cool-season pasture species.
Host Plants
Larvae feed on native warm-season grasses, with Big Bluestem as the primary documented host in the northern portion of the range.
- Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
- Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
Habitat
Ranges from the southern Canadian Prairies (southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan) through southern Ontario and the eastern United States south to the Gulf Coast. In Ontario, it occurs in tallgrass prairie remnants, moist meadows, sedge marshes, and along grassy rights-of-way where native warm-season grasses persist. NatureServe ranks the species as G5 (Secure), and it is not listed under the Species at Risk Act. While more secure than many prairie-specialist butterflies, its dependence on native warm-season grasses means it benefits from prairie conservation and restoration efforts.