Bug FAQMulberry Wing
Poanes massasoit · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Hesperiidae
The mulberry wing is a small skipper butterfly with a wingspan of about 22 to 29 mm. Caterpillars feed on tussock sedge and possibly other sedges, while adults sip nectar from milkweeds, buttonbush, mint, pickerelweed, self-heal and vetch.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 22 to 29 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to the eastern United States and parts of southern Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 23 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Ohio, Connecticut, Illinois, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do mulberry wing caterpillars eat?
Caterpillars feed on tussock sedge and possibly other sedges, grasses and related plants.
Source: Wikipedia
What flowers do adult mulberry wings visit?
Adults sip nectar from milkweeds, buttonbush, mountain mint, pickerelweed, self-heal and vetch.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Hesperiidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poanes_massasoit
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.