Skippers are small butterflies mainly dressed in orange or brown, and many species hold their forewings and hindwings at two different angles, giving them a characteristic “fighter jet” appearance. Once thought to be an intermediate life form between butterflies and moths, their antennae are slightly hooked at the end instead of clubbed or feathery. Their heads are large and their bodies are thick and furry, giving them a mothlike appearance. However, skippers fly during the day and are more closely related to true butterflies than they are to moths.

There are three types of skipper in our region: Spread-winged skippers are characterized by their dull colours (usually brown with some white spotting) and tendency to perch with their wings held open along a single plane; the intermediate skippers, or skipperlings, of which only one species is found in Ontario; and the grass skippers, named for the caterpillars which typically feed on grasses and sedges.