Field Skipper (Atalopedes campestris) -- the common name was formerly Sachem -- is a small-medium butterfly, with a wingspan of 1.25 to 1.625 inches. It can generally be seen from May to November in our part of the country, but it is a relatively rare sighting in our local area. Host plants include Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon), Crabgrass (Digitaria), St. Augustine Grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), and Goosegrass (Eleusine).

It is one of five grass skippers on the Garden's species list. They all use grasses of some kind as host plants, and also share a similar orange-brown coloration. Another common characteristic of grass skippers is how the forewing and hindwing are laid out one above the other rather than side-by-side, like all other butterflies. When they open their wings fully, the hindwing is parallel to the ground, but the forewing remains at a 45-degree angle to the hindwing. In many parts of the US, it can be challenging to identify grass skippers to species level, especially if the specimen is a little worn. For a  perfect example of how difficult it can be, compare the upper sides of male and female Fiery Skipper with those of Field Skipper.

Field Skippers follow the same "Is This Seat Taken?" model of courtship as Fiery Skippers do. The male comes and perches next to the female. He disappears and reappears several times, inching closer each time. The female moves from perch to perch, and the male moves with her. At a later stage, the male starts nudging the female, touching the upper surface of her wings and the rear of her abdomen with his head and antennae. At this stage, the female encourages the male by vibrating her wings.

Field Skipper is found in a thin strip along the west coast of the U.S., from Washington through California.