Crystal skipper Crystal skipper Atrytonopsis quinteri, the crystal skipper is a newly described butterfly (family Hesperiidae) that is found only along a 30-mile (50 km) stretch of barrier islands in North Carolina. The skipper was first discovered in 1978 and the paper describing it as a full species was published in 2015. The crystal skipper is endemic to Bogue Banks and Bear Island in North Carolina, USA. Bogue Banks is approximately 25 miles long and Bear Island is about 3.5 miles long. The skipper is also found on several human-made dredge spoil islands within the vicinity of these two natural barrier islands.
Crystal skipper human-made dredge spoil islands that have been colonized by seaside little bluestem. The crystal skipper is globally rare but locally abundant. Much of the sand dunes on Bogue Banks have been destroyed by development, leaving little habitat for the crystal skipper outside the two state parks. The crystal skipper is a federal species of concern. A “species of concern” is an informal designation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is not a term that is defined under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The crystal skipper is not federally listed as threatened or endangered. Insects cannot be listed under