Dun Skipper

Dun Skipper

Euphyes vestris

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at New York City

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

89 Verified sightings at New York City
119 In all 6 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Dun Skipper

Euphyes vestris, commonly referred to as the dun skipper, is a butterfly belonging to the Hesperiidae family. It appears as a brown, medium-sized butterfly found across the United States and southern Canada. Euphyes vestris inhabits multiple environments, including open fields, oak woodlands, and riparian wetlands. There are currently four recorded subspecies of Euphyes vestris, three of which have been identified across eatern, western, and mountainous regions of North America. The fourth subspecies, Euphyes vestris harbisoni, known as the Harbison's dun skipper is geographically restricted to southern California and northern Mexico.

The dun skipper, Euphyes vestris, is categorized within the genus Euphyes, a known group of ten closely related skippers found in North America. Species belonging to this genus live in environments with high humidity, such as swampy habitats, and occur in small populations. Across its subspecies it has been recognized that E. vestris relies on sedges, which are plants in the family Cyperaceae, as host plants for its larval development.

Euphyes vestris belongs to the... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
2 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
5 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
2 San Antonio 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Dun Skipper in New York City?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Dun Skipper sighting in New York City on a given day, based on 89 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 281st most-seen of the 1623 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Dun Skipper in New York City?

August

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dun Skipper in New York City on a given day, against under 5% in September to July, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Dun Skipper?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dun Skipper sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is New York City the best place to see a Dun Skipper?

9th of 13

Of the 13 cities where we can rate Dun Skipper sightings, New York City ranks 9th at under 5%. The best odds are in Toronto (Canada, about 10%), San Antonio (United States, about 10%) and Baltimore (United States, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Dun Skipper live in New York City?

Same family: Hesperiidae

The closest relatives of the Dun Skipper that you can see in New York City (family Hesperiidae, Skippers) are Zabulon Skipper (about 10%), Silver-Spotted Skipper (about 10%) and Peck's Skipper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Dun Skipper sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Dun Skipper is recorded against all the insects logged in New York City (89 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to New York City