Common Hawkweed vs Common Least Skipper

Hieracium vulgatum compared with Ancyloxypha numitor

Key Differences

• Common Hawkweed is Not Evaluated while Common Least Skipper is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Hawkweed	Common Least Skipper
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)	Hesperiidae
Genus	Hieracium	Ancyloxypha
Species	Hieracium vulgatum	Ancyloxypha numitor

Conservation Status

Common Hawkweed

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Least Skipper

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Hawkweed	Common Least Skipper
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Hawkweed

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium and Norway.

Common Least Skipper

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Canada and United States.

Common Hawkweed

Common hawkweed, <em>Hieracium vulgatum</em>, is a flowering plant belonging to the family Asteraceae. This species is distributed across Belgium and Norway, reflecting a range within northern and western Europe. As a member of the large and taxonomically complex genus Hieracium, <em>Hieracium vulgatum</em> is a perennial herbaceous plant typically found in open habitats such as grasslands, woodland margins, rocky slopes, and disturbed areas. The genus is characterized by its yellow composite flower heads and is known for extreme taxonomic diversity, in part due to widespread apomixis. The species typically grows in relatively dry to moderately moist soils. No dietary information has been provided for this species. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

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.