| Hesperia colorado (Scudder, 1874) |
| Status: Uncommon to common local resident |
| Flight Period(s): One late summer flight peaking the third week in August. Flight dates range from 12 August – 9 September |
| Range: Various subspecies inhabit most of the western United States from central Alaska south in to Arizona and New Mexico as well as the northern United States and southern Canada from coast to coast. In Nebraska it has been found in the western third of the state. |
| Larval Hostplant(s): Grasses including Bouteloua gracilis, Andropogon sacchariodes, and Poa, Festuca, Muhlenbergia, Stipa, and Bromus species |
| Overwinter: As an egg |
| Commentary/Habitat: This species is referred to as Hesperia comma in most of the recent popular literature. The Common Branded Skipper seems to be found in short to mixed grass prairies associated with gravely, sandy or sparse soils. Adults visit Liatris flowers avidly. It has been found at Ash Hollow State Historical Park (Garden County), Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area (Scotts Bluff County) and the Niobrara Valley Preserve (Brown and Keya Paha Counties). It can be abundant in the Nebraska panhandle but becomes increasingly rare east of there. It flies with and is usually outnumbered by the Pawnee Skipper Hesperia leonardus pawnee. |
| Similar Species: Similar to the Green Skipper (Hesperia viridis) which flies earlier in the season. |
