Fiery Skipper Butterfly (Hylephila phyleus)

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus - male) on Guadalupe Island rock daisy

The warm temperatures of spring through
fall bring many butterflies to Southern California gardens.  From the large and dramatic Western Tiger
Swallowtail to the miniscule Pygmy Blue, their bright colors and interesting
behavior add much to our warm season gardens. 
Butterfly-watching is enjoyed by all ages – and can be done
inexpensively and comfortably in even a small garden.  It’s no wonder that interest in butterflies
is growing.

Common to California gardens are the
small orange/gold, brown and black butterflies known collectively as the
Skippers.  The Skippers, in the family Hesperiidae, are best viewed as
‘sisters’ to the rest of the butterflies. 
Their characteristics place them somewhere between the butterflies and
the moths [1]. 

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus - male) feeding on Pluchea odorata

 

Several Skippers that frequent local gardens belong
to the sub-family Hesperiinae - the folded-wing skippers.   We discussed this group – and the Umber
Skipper - last month: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2016/07/umber-skipper-butterfly-poanes-melane.html.
  Another locally common member
is the Fiery Skipper, Hylephila phyleus, which is flying right now in Mother
Nature’s Backyard.  The scientific name
is pronounced ‘hi-lee-FY-luh   FY-lee-us’

Fiery
Skippers are native to Southern California and beyond.  Their range is limited by cold winters, so the
year-round range is limited to warmer areas like Southern United States, Southern California, the West Indies and Central
America south to Argentina and Chile. 
But they commonly stray further north (and to higher elevations),
creating yearly colonies even as far north as northern California, the lower
Mid-west and southern New England. They are very common in western Los Angeles
County gardens, fields, parks and other grassy places.

The genus
Hylephila, which is largely neotropical in range, contains
21 species.  All look somewhat similar to
the Fiery Skipper: blotched yellow-orange and black on their upper sides and
paler yellow with dark spots on their undersides.  In all, the females are duller colored, with more dark areas than the males.

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus - male) on Red buckwheat

 (Eriogonum grande var. rubescens). Note very short antennae

Fiery
Skippers are smaller butterflies, with a wingspan ranging from about 1.25 to
1.5 inches (approximately 3 to 4 cm.).  
They have stout, hairy bodies with a tapered abdomen (tail segment) and
very short, distinctive antennae (see above). Their large, dark eyes contrast
strongly in their yellow-white faces.  They
perch with their wings either closed or, more commonly, with both the hind and
forewings visible.   Fortunately, they can
be easily photographed.



Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus - male) - typical wing positions when perched

 

Male and
female Fiery Skippers have slightly different coloration.  The males are the Fiery ones.  One can’t help but photograph the males - they
are just so attractive!  Amongst all the
photographs of Fiery’s I’ve taken, the vast majority are of males (sorry, ladies!).   We’ll try to do better in the future.

Not
surprisingly, there are differences in coloration across the species’ wide
range [2].  If you live outside Western
Los Angeles County, your Fiery’s may look different from ours.  But Hylephila
phyleus males are always more brightly
colored. The overall impression of the male is of a small, bright yellow-orange
butterfly with black streaks; of the female, a dark brown Skipper with some
yellow-orange blotches.

 

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus) - comparison of males & females

In local
specimens, the underside of both males and females is a pale buff to light yellow-orange,
with the males being more orange and females more buff.  The males have a small number of small, irregular
brown spots.   The underside of the females is paler and has
a series of light brown checks (see below).   The female underside could be mistaken for
the less common Sandhill Skipper (Polites
sabuleti), although the Sandhill has more distinctive and darker checks (at
least in our gardens).

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus - female)

compared to Sandhill Skipper (Polites sabuleti)

 

The
upperside of males has a ‘fiery’ appearance; bright to light yellow-orange
background with wide black wing margins outlining the ‘flames’ (see above).  The males also have a distinctive, dark brown
band (stigmata), which distinguishes them from other local bright orange
Skippers (see below).   A great way to
see the details – and appreciate the beauty – of butterflies is to photograph
them.  For suggestions on photographing
insects see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2015/07/life-friendly-gardening-photographing.html

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus - male) -

distinctive band-like stigmata

 

The
upperside of females is darker – brown to almost black – with an irregular band
of orange blotches.  The orange is paler
than that of the males.  From the
upperside, females might be mistaken for the rarer (in gardens) Field Skipper/ Satchem
(Atalopedes campestris).  But in our gardens, where the Fiery Skippers far
out-number the Satchems, a dark brown Skipper with orange blotches is usually a
Fiery female.

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus - male) - nectaring on

 Yarrow (Achillea millefolia)

 

The
bodies of both sexes are covered in long, golden hairs.  The lower ‘face’ and underside of the body
are light gray or white.  The legs are
yellow or buff.   The proboscis (tongue)
used for feeding is dark (see above).

 

Old, tattered Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus - male)

 

In colder
climates, Fiery Skippers die off in the winter. 
At lower elevations in S. California, they can be seen most of the year
- though in reduced numbers during the colder months.  Peak months in our gardens are late June
through September.  Several broods hatch
each year in most parts of the species’ range.  
So you will see fresh young butterflies and older, tattered ones, at the
same time.

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus - male) - perched on sedge

 

In
summer, males perch on grass or flowers, waiting for receptive females.  Their bright colors, and the scent of
pheromones (released from the stigmata) attract the females.   Adults are often found in groups of 10 or
more at a given site.

Adult
Fiery Skippers can also be seen feeding at many types of flowers.  They seem to particularly favor the many
small flowers of the Mint and Sunflower Families and the native
Buckwheats.  The best Skipper plants in
our gardens are the Monardellas, Yarrow, Grindelias, Senecios, Pluchea, Goldenrods and all of the
Buckwheats (Eriogonum species).  They also utilize many non-native garden
flowers.   You will even see them in
vegetable gardens!

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus - male) - feeding on

 Seacliff (Dune) buckwheat (Eriogonum parvifolium)

 

The Hylephila phyleus larvae,
like those of other ‘Grass Skippers’, eat grass.  They utilize a number of native and
non-native grasses; where there is any type of lawn or weedy grass, there will
likely be Fiery Skippers.  Eggs are
usually laid on the underside of grass leaves, but may also be laid on other
plants.  The caterpillars tie the edges
of a grass leaf together, creating a protective shelter.   You may see these ‘tents’ in your grass, but
they are easy to overlook.

The caterpillars themselves are tan to green, less
than about an inch, striped and with a large, dark head.  They blend in pretty well with the grasses on
which they feed.  You’ll have to look hard
to find them.

For more good pictures of Fiery Skipper, including their larvae, see:

• http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/hesper/fiery.htm
  




• http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/hylephila_p_phyleus.htm
  




• http://www.dallasbutterflies.com/Butterflies/html/phyleus.html
  




• http://socalbutterflies.com/hesperiidae_html/fiery_skipper.htm
  




• http://bugguide.net/node/view/406
  




• http://butterfly.ucdavis.edu/butterfly/Hylephila/phyleus




• http://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/?blogtag=Hylephila%20phyleus&blogasset=45538
  




• http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabambc/construct-species-page.asp?sp=fiery-skipper
  




• http://ataxus.com/ak5t/hawaii/hi_phyl.htm
  

 



Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus - male) - feeding on

 Seacliff (Dune) buckwheat (Eriogonum parvifolium)

 

We hope you’ll look for Fiery Skippers in your
garden or other outdoor places.  They are
very active this time of year.  Though
small, they are beautiful and fun to watch. 
Happy viewing!

For more on butterfly gardening see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2012/06/butterfly-gardens.html

For more on local garden insects see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2016/07/insect-postings-mother-natures-backyard.html

 

_____________________

 

1.   Art
Shapiro’s Butterfly Site - http://butterfly.ucdavis.edu/butterfly/common/Skippers

 

2.   Butterflies
and Moths of North America - http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Hylephila-phyleus

 

 

We encourage your comments below.   If you have questions about Fiery Skipper
butterflies or other gardening topics you can e-mail us at :  mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com

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California Gourmet: Preserving Summer Berries (Strawberries; Bramble-berries; Currants; Huckleberries; Rosehips and more)

Golden currant (Ribes aureum): one of our tastier native berries

 

A
number of native berry fruits come ripe in summer.  Many have singular flavors that truly
represent the ‘taste of California’; their flavors work well in many types of
recipes.   Included are the native strawberries
(Fragaria species), currants and
gooseberries (Ribes species), roses (rose
hips – Rosa species),
blueberries/huckleberries (Vaccinia
species), Blackberries/raspberries/thimbleberries (Rubus species), wild grapes (Vitis
species) and of course the Blue elderberry. 

We’ve
already discussed the picking, preparing and saving of elderberries: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2012/08/picking-cleaning-and-processing.html.
 But the others are coming in quickly, so
we decided to share our experiences picking, preparing and storing some of the
rest.  Here are some tips for saving the
flavors of native berries and berry-like fruits.  We’ll provide recipes using these fruits in
future posts.

Picking Blue elderberries

 

Picking the Fruits

First, some
general rules. 

·        
If
possible, pick fruits that have not been
sprayed with pesticides.  Many native
plant gardeners never use pesticides, so this may not be a problem.  If you have
used pesticides on fruits, be sure to follow the instructions on the pesticide
package regarding safe use.

·        
Pick
only ripe, unblemished fruits.  Know what color fruits are when they a ripe
(watch the birds; they will show you when a fruit is ripe),

·        
If
possible, pick in the morning (before
10 a.m.) when flavors are often the most intense.

Currants, gooseberries,
bramble berries, blueberries

These
fruits are mostly dark colored and slightly soft when ripe. Most detach easily
from the branches.  Simply pull them off
and drop into a bowl or small picking bucket.  
If the bushes have thorns/prickles:
wear long, leather rose-pruning gloves (well worth the investment).

Rose hips, strawberries

These
are dark red or red-orange and slightly soft then ripe.  You can taste or smell the sweetness.  We cut off individual fruits with a kitchen
scissors or light-weight pruner.

 

We cut off entire clusters of elderberries & grapes

 

Elderberries, wild
grapes

These are either blue (Elderberries)
or dark purple (grapes) and slightly soft when ripe.  We cut off entire clusters of fruits, put in
a plastic bag, then complete the processing in the kitchen.

 

Washing native fruits using a colander

 

Preparing and Cleaning the Fruits

A few general
rules:

·        
Remove any twigs, leaves, etc.

·        
Rinse the fruits in cool, running
water.  We like to use a big, old-fashioned colander (see
above).   Save the rinse water and use it
to water plants in the garden (it’s perfectly safe).

·        
Let the fruits drain/dry in the colander; or gently pat them
dry with a paper towel

Strawberries

Remove stems
and leaves from strawberries with a knife or strawberry huller. 

We wash entire clusters of grapes before removing the stems

 

Elderberries, wild
grapes

For
elderberries, follow the tips in our elderberry posting: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2012/08/picking-cleaning-and-processing.html.  

Wild
grapes are small, soft and harder to remove from the stems. If you place the
unwashed fruits in the refrigerator overnight (or even for several days), the
fruits will come off easier.  We suspect
that the cold triggers a chemical reaction that loosens the bond between stem
and fruit.   

We’ve
also found it easiest to rinse entire clumps of grapes first, before removing
fruits from the stem.  Detach the fruits
over a bowl or large pot; that way you’ll collect all the juice and smashed
grapes as well as the whole ones.  And
you will crush some!  Don’t worry; you’ll
likely be making juice from them, anyway.

 

Most native fruits freeze well

 

Freezing Fruits

If
you’ve room in your freezer, freezing fruits is a good way to preserve them for
later use.  It’s also a good way to deal
with fruits that have a prolonged ripening season (like Bramble fruits, which
may have individual fruits ripening over a month or more).  Pick ripe fruits each day, then freeze them
until you have enough to make jam, jelly or other product.  

Just
be sure that fruits are fairly dry, place them in freezer-weight plastic bags
or other freezer-safe containers, label with product and date, and freeze.  We like to double bag our fruits – helps preserve
the flavor and prevent freezer burn.

When
you’re ready to use the fruits, thaw and use. 
Some fruits (Elderberries, Ribes species, blueberries and
brambleberries) will freeze whole. 
Others will be a bit mushy when thawed. 
But all will be fine to use in most baked goods, jams, jellies, beverages,
desserts, etc.

 

Dried fruits keep well, take little space and

 don't require refrigeration

 

 

Drying Fruits

Elderberries,
currants, gooseberries, brambleberries, blueberries/huckleberries, rosehips and
wild strawberries can all be preserved by drying them whole.  This is a convenient way to store fruits for
future use; the flavors last for up to a year. 
The dried fruits can be used for tea, ground dry (with spice grinder or
mortar & pestle) for use in baked goods and desserts, or re-constitute them
for use in many dishes.  

If
grinding dried fruits for use in beverages or baked goods, we suggest (based on
experience) that you strain out any large, hard seeds before adding the mixture
to your recipe.  Use a mesh kitchen
strainer; the small, good stuff will go through, leaving the seeds in the
strainer (discard the seeds).

We
have given detailed instructions for drying fruits in our Elderberry
posting.  We use these drying methods for
all the fruits discussed above.   If your strawberries or rosehips are large,
you may want to cut them in half before drying.

 

Straining is the last step in making kitchen extracts

 from native fruits & berries

 

Making Kitchen Extracts

A
good way to capture the flavors of summer fruits is by creating kitchen
extracts.  We discussed kitchen extracts,
in more detail, in a past posting: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2016/04/california-gourmet-making-flavored.html.
Alcohol extracts can be used just like purchased extracts (vanilla extract, etc.).  Kitchen extracts allow you to create berry-flavored
dishes all year long.

Creating
kitchen extracts is simplicity itself. 
Place cleaned, crushed fruits into a clean glass container with a lid
(we use canning jars with plastic lids, but any glass jar with a lid will
do).  Cover the fruit with vodka, making
sure that all parts of fruit are covered (cheap vodka work just fine).  Cover and place jar in a cool dark place
(like a cupboard or pantry).  If your lid
is metal, place a double layer of plastic wrap over the opening before you
screw on the lid.  Be sure to label the
jar with the fruit type and date.

Swirl
the fruits every other day.  After one
week, strain out the fruits.   If you
want a stronger extract, add more prepared fruits and proceed as above.   When you’ve completed the last extraction,
strain out the fruits, then filter the extract though a coffee filter (our favorite)
or several layers of cheese-cloth.   Bottle the extract in a clean (washed just
before bottling with hot water) glass bottle, cap and label with product and
date.   Store with your other extracts in
a cupboard or pantry.

 

You can make delicious freezer jams or traditional jams

 using California native fruits and berries

 

Making Jams from Fresh or Frozen
Fruits

Native
currants, gooseberries, brambleberries, blueberries/huckleberries and wild
strawberries can all be used to make delicious jams.  Just follow a standard recipe for the type of
fruit you’re using.  Be sure to follow
the directions carefully, particularly if canning the product.  Good instructions/recipes are available with
the canning jars, with most canning pectin products, and on-line.

 

Making juice from 'Roger's Red' grapes

 

Making Juice from Fresh Fruits

All
of the berries and berry-like fruits can be used to make juice.  The juice can then be drunk fresh, frozen for
later use or used in cooking or making jelly or syrup.  Fortunately, making juice is really easy once
the fruits have been cleaned.

Place
clean fruits in a heavy saucepan (non-aluminum is best). Crush the fruits with
the bottom of a glass or metal measuring cup (don’t worry about crushing them
all). Add water to about ½ inch over the level of the fruits.  Heat the fruits on the stove over medium heat
until the water begins to simmer.  Turn
down the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the fruits have released most
of their color and flavor into the water.

 

Jelly bag (jelly/juice strainer) with frame

 

Remove
from heat, let cool, then strain out the skins, seeds, etc. using a jelly bag
(see above), mesh strainer or several layers of cheese-cloth lining a
colander.  Recycle the skins/seeds in the
compost pile or as mulch in your garden. 
Don’t worry about the seeds sprouting – they don’t survive the heat!

Use
or store in the refrigerator (use within 3-5 days).   We prefer glass beverage containers with
lids for storage.  You can also freeze
the juice in freezer-proof containers for later use.

If
using the juice as a beverage, you may want to add a sweetener of choice.  Taste and see – you may like it just as is.

 

Equipment we use for making jelly

 

Making Jelly from Berry Juice

Use
your favorite recipe for the appropriate type of berry.  Good recipes for grape, elderberry, rose-hip,
bramble-berry and other jellies are available in the pectin box or
on-line.  The native fruits make
fantastic, unique jellies that are great as gifts.   You may even want to combine several type of
juice – or add some favorite spices like cinnamon or ginger to your jelly.  Follow the canning recipes to the letter; you
don’t want your canned jelly to spoil.

 

Canned syrups from native fruits last several years

 at room temperature

 

Making Syrup from Berry Juice

Native
fruit syrups are a wonderful way to preserve the tastes of summer.  They can be used in so many ways.  And you can even can them, if so desired, so
they won’t need refrigeration.   We find
we use the flavored syrups all the time!

We
discussed making syrups in a previous posting, and refer you there: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2015/01/california-gourmet-flavored-syrups.html

 

 

Enjoy your preserved native fruits & berries! 

   They'll bring back summer, all year long

 

 

____________________________________________________

We encourage you to
send us your questions, comments and recipes (either comment below or e-mail to
us at : mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com

 

 

 

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