Mulberry Wing
Female - June 2022
The Mulberry Wing (Poanes massasoit) is a very small warm gold-brown skipper with yellow markings on the hindwing which have a beaded appearance almost like a white Mulberry. From above males are nearly solid very dark brown or black. The ‘Mulberry’ namesake derives from a slight purple sheen on the dorsal side reminiscent of the ripe fruit. The skipper’s body is much lighter than the wings when viewed from above, which helps separate from other species with solid dark wings. Females are similar but have white dotted markings on the wings.
Male - June 2022
In some of my photos you can see the butterflies have ventral side hindwing markings that look like a little airplane from certain angles - pretty cool!!
Female - June 2022
It took me a while to find these guys at the location, but as usual Common Milkweed was the nectar source for this incredible species. They really are quite a unique grass skipper in New Jersey.
June 2022
When the sun rays hit them from above the golden color really shimmers.
Male - July 2023
With wings fully closed and extended you can see the very dark portion of the forewing with the yellow bracelet of spots, along with all the other hindwing details displayed. The combination makes this species very distinct and pretty easy to identify.
July 2023
They tend to like wet areas like marshes and meadows with lots of sedge and nectar sources nearby.
