Description
The Two-spotted Skipper (Euphyes bimacula) is a small, dark brown butterfly with two distinctive yellowish spots on the forewings and a lighter underside, typically found in wet meadows, marshes, and grassy areas across eastern and central North America. Even though I’ve stomped through dozens of marshes and wetlands in Minnesota searching for this species, I always came up empty. I did see some in Colorado, and those images are above.
Range
Anoka County south to Houston County. A very uncommon wetland species, with only a handful of recent sightings.
Similar Species
None.
Host Plants
Here are the main larval host plants: Carex trichocarpa, possibly other sedges (Carex spp.)
Flight
Overwinters in chrysalis, and can emerge as early as late May and can fly until late-July