I’m trying to identify a skipper found in Manhattan, Kansas.  Problem is that online there is conflicting images saying that this little guy is either this butterfly or that.

Anyways, what I do know is skippers are tiny, pretty but nearly unnoticeable bugs.   Many skippers feed on grasses as larvae and nectar as adults.  They are very prevalent on the prairies and have a very funnily bouncy way of flying.  Many skippers, especially this skipper, remind me of tabby cats.  They are big-eyed, furry, and like to bask in the sun.

After spending nearly 2 hours on identifying this little guy and having encountered this issue countless time before, I’ve come to a conclusion that there needs to be more development of online resources for insect ID.

Hmmm….perhaps I will make online insect ID development a project of mine further down the road, but in the mean time it seems that I have to buy more insect ID books and communicate with others interested in insect ID.

What do you think this insect is?  Have you ever seen this one?

I have limited it down to probably being either a Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan) or a Byssus Skipper (Problema byssus) and I am leaning towards calling it a Delaware Skipper.  Both are commonly found in prairies, which is where I found this skipper.  The black bar at the end of the forewing seems to match more with the Delaware Skipper.

The images of Byssus Skippers range from being mostly black in color (like the Wikipedia page written on Byssus Skippers) to more bright and orange in color (like the skipper featured in my photo).   Also, I found it in Kansas and the Byssus seems to be more prevalent in Kansas so that confuses matters.  Through looking at discussions and Google images it seems that others have expressed this confusion as well.