Bug FAQWhite-patterned Skipper
Chiothion asychis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Hesperiidae
Also called: White-patched Skipper
The white-patched skipper is a butterfly in the skipper family Hesperiidae. It lives from Argentina through tropical America, the West Indies and reaches southern Texas in the United States, with occasional strays as far north as Arizona, Nevada and Kansas. Adults are on the wing all year in southern Texas, producing three to four generations annually.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Chiothion asychis, called the white-patched skipper, belongs to the butterfly family Hesperiidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from about 29 to 38 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
In Texas the caterpillars feed on the plant Malpighia glabra, while in Mexico they eat Gaudichaudia pentandra. Adult butterflies sip nectar from flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Three to four generations develop each year, and adults are active throughout the year in southern Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults can be seen on the wing all year in the southern part of its range.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to southern Texas and other parts of the Americas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 3 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Arizona, Pennsylvania.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult white-patched skippers active?
Adults are on the wing throughout the year in southern Texas, producing three to four generations annually.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find this butterfly?
It occurs from Argentina through tropical America, the West Indies and southern Texas, with occasional strays as far north as Arizona, Nevada and Kansas.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Hesperiidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiothion_asychis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.