Silver-spotted Skimmer

There are dozens of butterflies around here collectively known as skippers, and you can quickly separate them from the more traditional lepidopteran species by the shape of the end of their antennae. Skippers have a thin extension or bend, known as an apiculus, at the end of the antenna's bulb, while the so-called "true butterflies" just have a rounded knob. The skippers also have a well-deserved reputation for being very difficult to identify down to the species level, and unless you're willing to collect them for further study—something that requires the collector to end the insect's life—you often wind up calling the critter in question "just another skipper." Not so with this one, the unambiguous Silver-spotted Skipper. Epargyreus clarus is relatively large and absolutely unmistakable in the field, due to the presence of those large silver patches on the hind wings. The glorious skipper was too busy working a vetch blossom to worry about the presence of a photographer, who happily captured the critter from both sides. This one, I think, was the best angle.