Bell's Roadside Skipper - Alabama Butterfly Atlas

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This small, dark skipper is easy to overlook as it flies along the ground. It is also easy to confuse with the more common Pepper and Salt Skipper that may share the same habitat. Like several other roadside-skippers, Bell's typically occurs only in isolated populations, although suitable habitat seems to be prevalent. It is found near woodland streams or woodland edges in rich, deciduous woodlands. Males perch in sunny openings to find females. They take moisture and minerals from damp earth; both sexes nectar from small flowers.

This skipper was once known as Bell's Roadside Rambler. Until 1990, it was lumped with Celia's Roadside-Skipper, which primarily occurs in Texas. Because of differences in genitalia and distribution, Bell's Roadside-Skipper attained full species status. It reaches the eastern limits of its range in Alabama, Georgia, and possibly Florida.

Distribution and Abundance

A dot on the county map indicates that there is at least one documented record of the species within that county. In some cases, a species may be common throughout the county, in others it may be found in only a specific habitat. The High Count information shows the highest numbers recorded for this species as well as when and where they occurred.

The sightings bar graphs depict the timing of flight(s) within each of three geographic regions. Place your cursor on a bar within the graph to see the number of individuals recorded during that period.

The abundance calendar displays the total number of individuals recorded within each week of the month. Both the graphs and the calendar are on based data collection that began in 2000.

The records analyzed here are only a beginning. As more data is collected, these maps and graphs will paint a more accurate picture of distribution and abundance in Alabama. Submit your sightings to albutterflyatlas@gmail.com.

Sightings in the following counties: Colbert

Sightings in the past 5 years
Sightings in the past 5 - 10 years
Sightings more than 10 years ago

High count(s):

2 - Colbert - 5/21/2020
1 - Colbert - 5/28/2016
1 - Colbert - 5/29/2016

View county names by moving the mouse over a county or view a map with county names

Jan				Feb				Mar				Apr				May				Jun				Jul				Aug				Sep				Oct				Nov				Dec
1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
																		2	2

Habitat

Prefers moist, rich woodlands where it may be found in openings near creeks. May also be found in sunny openings or woodland edges.

Host and Nectar Plants

The host plant has not yet been documented for Alabama.

In nearby states, River Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) is the primary host plant documented for this species. Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) has been reported in Texas.