Bug FAQPalatka Skipper
Euphyes pilatka · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Hesperiidae
The Palatka Skipper’s wingspan measures about 45 to 54 mm. It lives along the southeastern United States, from Virginia down the Atlantic coast to Florida and the Keys, then west along the Gulf to southern Mississippi. Its caterpillars eat the leaves of the plant Cladium jamaicensis.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is roughly 45 to 54 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 9 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Virginia.
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
What do Palatka Skipper larvae eat?
The caterpillars feed on the leaves of Cladium jamaicensis.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Hesperiidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphyes_pilatka
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.