Blue Cycad vs Common Least Skipper

Encephalartos nubimontanus compared with Ancyloxypha numitor

Key Differences

• Blue Cycad is Extinct in the Wild while Common Least Skipper is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blue Cycad	Common Least Skipper
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Cycadopsida (Cycadopsida)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Cycadales (Cycadales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Zamiaceae	Hesperiidae
Genus	Encephalartos	Ancyloxypha
Species	Encephalartos nubimontanus	Ancyloxypha numitor

Conservation Status

Blue Cycad

EW — Extinct in the Wild

Common Least Skipper

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blue Cycad	Common Least Skipper
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blue Cycad

Common Least Skipper

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Canada and United States.

Blue Cycad

The Blue Cycad (Encephalartos nubimontanus) is a species in the genus Encephalartos. It is currently classified as Extinct in the Wild on the IUCN Red List. As a member of the genus Encephalartos, it shares ecological traits with closely related species.

Common Least Skipper

The Common Least Skipper (<em>Ancyloxypha numitor</em>) is a small butterfly in the family Hesperiidae, classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is native to Canada and the United States, where it typically inhabits virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats within its range, showing a particular affinity for moist, grassy areas near water. The species is among the smallest skippers in North America, characterized by orange and brown wing coloration and a rapid, low-flying flight pattern close to vegetation. Adults typically nectar on small flowers while larvae feed on grasses, particularly those in wet meadows, marshes, stream margins, and disturbed grassy areas. The Common Least Skipper is frequently observed in wetland margins, wet prairies, and roadsides with rank grass growth. Its wide distribution across North America and habitat generalism across moist grassland and wetland types support its stable population and Least Concern conservation status. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.