Skippers

Years ago, when I had an interest in gardening, I took (with permission) one sedum plant from my mother’s garden. I still have the plant in my backyard, and it’s one of my garden favorites, because it needs no care, attracts bees and butterflies, and looks spectacular in the fall when other plants are fading.  The sedum pictured above is not in my garden, but rather one I saw during my walk yesterday. The butterfly in the photo is a skipper.  What exact species of skipper it is, I’m not sure of, but my guess is it’s a Sachem.  A lot of skippers look alike, so it’s tough for me, a mere nature enthusiast and not an entomologist, to confidently identify one.  Skippers are not especially beautiful looking or graceful fliers like other butterflies, but they do have their assets.  Here is something about them, or at least their eyesight, that makes them unique:  “The eyes of Skippers are different from those of other butterflies. They have a space between the cones and rods which allows light from each ommatidium to spill into neighbouring rods, effectively increasing their resolution and sensitivity. As a result Skippers can fly very accurately from one spot to another. This different type of eye structure is one of the reasons why taxonomists place them in a different super-family to all other butterflies - the Hesperioidea.” http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Anatomy.htm