Button Dodder vs Common Least Skipper

Cuscuta cephalanthi compared with Ancyloxypha numitor

Key Differences

Button Dodder is Not Evaluated while Common Least Skipper is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Button Dodder	Common Least Skipper
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Solanales (Solanales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Convolvulaceae	Hesperiidae
Genus	Cuscuta	Ancyloxypha
Species	Cuscuta cephalanthi	Ancyloxypha numitor

Conservation Status

Button Dodder

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Least Skipper

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Button Dodder	Common Least Skipper
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Button Dodder

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Canada and United States.

Common Least Skipper

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Canada and United States.

Button Dodder

The Button Dodder (Cuscuta cephalanthi) is a species in the genus Cuscuta. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

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.