Natural History

The Rocky Mountain Duskywing is a small  (1 3/8 - 1 3/4 inch wingspan) skipper. Skippers are distinguished from true butterflies by their relatively large bodies compared to their angular wings. They get their name from their characteristic rapid darting flight. Though duskywings are in general rather difficult to distinguish from one another, the Rocky Mountain Duskywing is overall brown and grey in color and lacks the white band found on the edges of the wing common to some other duskywings.
 

The Rocky Mountain Duskywing is found throughout the Rocky Mountain States. They can typically be found flying between late April and early June. To seek females, males perch in gulches during the day. After mating, females lay eggs one at a time on the bark and leaf buds of the host plant.