I snapped a few pictures of this fairly large brown skipper yesterday and it was nice enough to let me get some good closeups. I'm not certain what species this skipper is but I have seen several skippers over the last few weeks that appear to be of the same species. Skippers can be challenging to identify as they are often a combination of brown and orange colors and sometimes even the smallest marking is all that can be used to identify them as one species or another.My best guess at an identification right now is that it might be a Monk Skipper (Asbolis capucinus). This butterfly seemed to be about the right size for the Monk Skipper that has a wingspan of 1 7/8 - 2 3/8 inches. This species was introduced to Florida from its native home in Cuba around the 1940's and has thrived in the state since then. Monk Skipper larvae host on Various palms including palmetto (Sabal), date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), and coconut (Cocos nucifera).
That skipper is pretty common in my backyard in Fort Lauderdale. Cool that you are lepcurious :)
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