Wingspan: 3 cm.

Flight time: A single brood flies generally from mid June to mid July.

Status: Breeding resident.

Distinguishing features: This uniformly dark brown skipper has one large and several small clear spots in the center of the upper forewing. The large spot is shaped like a parallelogram in males, and is rectangular in females.

Distribution and habitat: The Little Glassy Wing occurs in scattered locations across the state. It seems to favor woodland margins.

Natural History: The only listed larval host plant (Purpletop Grass) is absent from the bulk of Iowa sites, indicating that some other grass must be used for food. It avidly visits flowers such as milkweed, and is docile enough to be easily observed and photographed.