Sida acuta is a common weed in Florida. Some people refer to it as Broom weed. Do you have little tiny yellow flowers in your lawn? Look at them closely; this might be them.

It is also the host plant for Checkered Skipper Butterflies. According to Butterflies and Moths of North America, we have both the Tropical Checkered Skipper Butterfly, and the Common Checkered Skipper Butterfly in Palm Beach County, and only the Tropical Checkered Skipper Butterfly in Broward County, Florida. I'm afraid that on this butterfly, at least for the time being, I'll have to stop my ID at the Checkered Skipper level, because the only way to tell them apart is to take them apart. I'm just not ready to do that unless I find a recently deceased specimen. {Update: Tim sent me directions on how to I.D. these butterflies. See his directions on my Tropical Checkered Skipper page.}

This Tropical Checkered Skipper Butterfly is laying eggs on Sida acuta (Broom weed):

These are the seeds from one Sida acuta flower. The fire ants in Florida are enough to keep most people in shoes, but these sharp little seeds are likely to convince the rest of folks to protect their feet when they go outside down here.

A tiny Barred Yellow Butterfly is sipping nectar from Broomweed in the photograph below:

This Tropical Checkered Skipper Butterfly uses Broomweed as both a host plant and a nectar plant:

 

In the photo below a Gulf Fritillary Butterfly is enjoying nectar from one too: