Buff-winged Starfrontlet vs Common Least Skipper

Coeligena lutetiae compared with Ancyloxypha numitor

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Buff-winged Starfrontlet	Common Least Skipper
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Trochilidae	Hesperiidae
Genus	Coeligena	Ancyloxypha
Species	Coeligena lutetiae	Ancyloxypha numitor

Evolutionary Relationship

Buff-winged Starfrontlet and Common Least Skipper share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Buff-winged Starfrontlet

LC — Least Concern

Common Least Skipper

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Buff-winged Starfrontlet	Common Least Skipper
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Buff-winged Starfrontlet

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Norway.

Common Least Skipper

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Canada and United States.

Buff-winged Starfrontlet

A large, distinctive hummingbird with iridescent green upper parts and distinctive buff-colored wing patches visible in flight, buff-winged starfrontlets inhabit humid montane forests of Ecuador and southern Colombia at elevations between 1,500–3,600 meters. Males bear a glittering blue-green gorget and iridescent crown. They are primarily nectar feeders at large flowering trees and epiphytic bromeliads. Listed as Least Concern but sensitive to deforestation of Andean cloud forest.

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.