Morrison's Skipper
Stinga morrisoni
Description 1-1 1/4" (25-32 mm). Above, tawny-orange; FW has dark, toothed borders, weak stigma on male, dark stigmalike spot on female; HW light brown at base on male, dark on female, making dog's head pattern. Below, FW similar to upperside; HW rust-brown with tawny inner edge, crossed by silver-white chevron of spots enclosing silver bar running from base along cell out toward, but not meeting, white chevron band.
Similar Species Branded skippers (Hesperia) lack silver bar below. Snow's Skipper darker.
Life Cycle Unknown.
Flight 1 brood; May to mid-June in Rockies, earlier farther south.
Habitat In Colorado, mountain valleys with willows, streams, and moist meadows.
Range Mountainous parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and W. Texas.
Discussion While others were seeking gold and silver around Pike's Peak in the 1880's, the lepidopterist H.K. Morrison prospected gold-spotted and silver-spotted butterflies. This species used to be known as Morrison's Silver Spike. The silver spike is the shiny white bar along the hind wing cell beneath.
Source
