This page is a combination of these two groups of organisms. Some authorities (e.g. NABA) treat them as the same species (lumped under Hesperia comma), yet most Lepidopterists that study them split them into two different species, each with many subspecies. I'm including them on this page together because they are very difficult and sometimes impossible to distinguish in the field. Many individuals must be collected and studied under a microscope to determine their identity.
Most of the individuals here were photographed in Missoula Co, MT, where the two taxa co-occur. In this location as a rule of thumb, Hesperia comma flies mostly in June/July and Hesperia colorado flies mostly in Aug/Sep. However, this varies according to elevation and seasonal weather. For example, 2015 was a VERY warm early season such that many adult butterflies emerged 2-3 weeks earlier than usual. I've mostly arranged these images by date. Theoretically therefore, true H. comma will be the earlier individuals while true H. colorado will be the later individuals. Note that many of the identities of the middle date individual are best guesses, particularly for 2015.
#9070 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Whaley Draw below Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 25 June 2014 |
#9163a, #9163b Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 30 June 2014 Male on right, female on left |
#9080 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 25 June 2014 |
#7441 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Woodchuck Creek, Missoula Co., MT 15 June 2015 |
#9088 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Bitterroot floodplain below Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 29 June 2014 |
#9171 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Whaley Draw below Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 30 June 2014 |
#9312 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 1 July 2014 |
#0012 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 2 July 2014 |
#9328 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 1 July 2014 |
#9489 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 1 July 2014 |
#9474 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 1 July 2014 |
#9519 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 1 July 2014 |
#9496 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 1 July 2014 |
#9503 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 1 July 2014 |
#0019 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 2 July 2014 |
#0017 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 2 July 2014 |
#9628 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 2 July 2014 |
#9631 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 2 July 2014 |
#9637 Missoula Co., MT 2 July 2014 |
#9664 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 2 July 2014 |
#9717 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 2 July 2014 |
#9844 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 2 July 2014 |
#9998 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 2 July 2014 |
#0347 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 3 July 2014 |
#0368 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 3 July 2014 |
#0454 Missoula Co., MT 4 July 2014 |
#0030 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 2 July 2014 |
#0462 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 4 July 2014 |
#0772 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 9 July 2014 |
#0901 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 10 July 2014 |
#7777 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Woodchuck Creek, Missoula Co., MT 26 June 2015 |
#8539 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Davis Creek, Missoula Co., MT 1 July 2015 |
#8549 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Davis Creek, Missoula Co., MT 1 July 2015 |
#8561 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Davis Creek, Missoula Co., MT 1 July 2015 |
#8566 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Davis Creek, Missoula Co., MT 1 July 2015 |
#8584 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Davis Creek, Missoula Co., MT 1 July 2015 |
#8517 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Davis Creek, Missoula Co., MT 1 July 2015 |
#8545 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Davis Creek, Missoula Co., MT 1 July 2015 |
#2895 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 14 July 2013 | #9204 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Woodchuck Creek, Missoula Co., MT 4 July 2015 |
Note that these may superficially resemble Juba Skippers (Hesperia juba) with their dark scalloped borders, but the scalloping is not complete to the trailing edge of the wing and other spot patterns do not fit quite right. Plus, Juba is two-brooded and flies primarily in May and Sep here. Female comma/colorado frequently show this pattern as seen in many examples below. | ||
#2907 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 14 July 2013 |
#2902 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 14 July 2013 |
#2889 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 14 July 2013 |
#2991 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 15 July 2013 |
#3014 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 15 July 2013 |
#3086 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 15 July 2013 |
Might this individual on the right be a Western Branded Skipper? | ||
#3124 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 15 July 2013 |
#3241 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 17 July 2013 |
#3122 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 15 July 2013 |
#3779 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 20 July 2013 |
#2501 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 22 July 2014 |
#2902 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 22 July 2014 |
#2942 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 26 July 2014 |
#2992 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 26 July 2014 While most Common Branded Skippers are fairly worn by late July, the dark venter on this moderately fresh individual still suggests it's a Common. |
#2968 Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) Missoula Co., MT 26 July 2014 While most Common Branded Skippers are fairly worn by late July, the dark venter on this fresh individual still suggests it's a Common. |
#3820 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado) Missoula Co., MT 20 July 2013 Perhaps we are now transitioning to Western Branded Skippers with this fresh male in late July? It's slightly lighter yellow ventrally. |
#2498 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado) Missoula Co., MT 22 July 2014 |
#3137 Missoula Co., MT 26 July 2014 I'm not sure about this fairly fresh male. |
I'm not sure about these two either. They seem "dark" for colorado and late for comma. | ||
#3159 Missoula Co., MT 26 July 2014 |
#3814 Missoula Co., MT 5 Aug 2014 |
#3521 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado) Missoula Co., MT 2 Aug 2014 |
#1827 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Woodchuck Creek, Missoula Co., MT 18 Aug 2015 |
#1815 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Bitterrot River floodplain, Missoula Co., MT 25 Aug 2015 |
#2189 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Ridge 404 below Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 25 Aug 2015 |
#2184 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Ridge 404 below Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 25 Aug 2015 |
#2181 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Ridge 404 below Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 25 Aug 2015 |
#2202 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Ridge 404 below Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 25 Aug 2015 |
#2279 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Davis Creek, Missoula Co., MT 26 Aug 2015 |
#4437 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Missoula Co., MT 1 Sep 2013 |
#4160 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado) Missoula Co., MT 25 Aug 2014 By date and location, this should be Hesperia colorado. This illustrates how female H. colorado (like H. comma above) can have juba-like dark scalloping on the dorsal forewing border. Below are many more examples. |
#4175 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado) Missoula Co., MT 25 Aug 2014 |
#4795 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Missoula Co., MT 2 Sep 2013 |
#4804 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Missoula Co., MT 2 Sep 2013 |
#4453 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 1 Sep 2013 |
#4542 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 1 Sep 2013 |
#4550 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 1 Sep 2013 |
#4582 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 1 Sep 2013 |
#4616 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 1 Sep 2013 |
#4664 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 1 Sep 2013 |
#4665 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 1 Sep 2013 |
#4784 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 2 Sep 2013 |
#4951 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 4 Sep 2013 |
#4435 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 1 Sep 2013 |
#4850 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 4 Sep 2013 |
Or perhaps this individual on the right is a Juba Skipper? | ||
#5435 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 15 Sep 2013 |
#5251 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 11 Sep 2013 |
#5258 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 11 Sep 2013 |
#5271 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado idaho) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 11 Sep 2013 |
#5709 Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado) Missoula Co., MT 18 Sep 2014 |
Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma laurentina) Reserva Faunique Mastigouche, Quebec 5 Aug 2005 |
same Common Branded Skipper with a blurry Peck's Skipper (Polites peckius) Reserva Faunique Mastigouche, Quebec 5 Aug 2005 | |
Created on ... Mar 10, 2015 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com