Mardon Skipper
Mardon Skipper is a small tawny-orange skipper with a stout hairy body and pale rectangular marks beneath and is most meaningfully sought in native grasslands and open meadows in south Puget Sound and the southern Cascades.
Artwork inspired by Dale Chihuly
Mardon Skipper is a small tawny-orange butterfly with a stout hairy body and pale rectangular marks beneath the hindwing. Shape, resting posture, and the underside pattern are more dependable than orange color alone.
Search open native grasslands and mountain meadows from May into August, adjusting for elevation. Because surviving colonies are localized, a useful record includes habitat condition and date while withholding precise public coordinates.
- Primary range
- Washington
- Habitat
- native grasslands and open meadows in south Puget Sound and the
- Status
- State endangered
Quick guide
- Initial mark
- A small tawny-orange skipper with a stout hairy body and pale rectangular marks beneath
- Closer check
- May–August depending on elevation
A field sequence for Mardon Skipper
- Take the full view
- A small tawny-orange skipper with a stout hairy body and pale rectangular marks beneath.
- Find corroboration
- The second decision rests on native grasslands and open meadows in south Puget Sound and the southern Cascades.
- Match place and season
- Habitat narrows the possibilities here: native grasslands and open meadows in south Puget Sound and the southern Cascades.
- Protect the observation
- Include the perch or host plant with Mardon Skipper, then step away without collecting or stripping vegetation.
Good to know
Observe Mardon Skipper from the trail edge without entering native grassland or pursuing an individual. Photograph the full resting posture and nearby vegetation, note the May–August timing and elevation, and share sensitive locations only with conservation staff.
Notice these
- A small tawny-orange skipper with a stout hairy body and pale rectangular marks beneath
- native grasslands and open meadows in south Puget Sound and the southern Cascades
- May–August depending on elevation