Indian skipper (Hesperia sassacus)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.

FAMILY: Skippers (Hesperiidae)
SUBFAMILY: Grass Skippers (Hesperiinae)

IDENTIFICATION: Upperside is yellow-orange with well-defined black
markings. Black border of the hindwing is often toothed. Underside of
hindwing is yellow-orange with a band of yellow spots that barely
contrasts with the background.

LIFE HISTORY: Males perch all day to await receptive females.
Caterpillars live in silken tubes at the base of grass clumps and leave
them to feed. Older caterpillars overwinter and in the spring pupate
in a loose cocoon.

FLIGHT: One brood from May-July.

WING SPAN: 1 1/4 - 1 3/8 inches (3.2 - 3.5 cm).

CATERPILLAR HOSTS: Various grasses including little bluestem
(Andropogon scoparius), panic grass (Panicum), and red fescue
(Festuca rubra).

ADULT FOOD: Nectar from flowers including blackberry, henbit,
lithospermum, phlox, and viper's bugloss.

HABITAT: Old brushy fields, pastures, clearings, headlands.

RANGE: Maine west across southern Ontario to southeast Manitoba
and Minnesota; south to western North Carolina, southern Ohio, and
northern Indiana.

CONSERVATION: Not usually required.

NATURESERVE GLOBAL STATUS: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally,
though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the
periphery.

MANAGEMENT NEEDS: None reported.

SKY MEADOWS OCCURRENCE:

 

Note: Due to seasonal conditions in this region, occurrence may vary from

year to year. The designation of occurrence may range over two or more

categories and may vary even during a single season.

 

Key to Checklist

A   Abundant: Easy to see very large numbers of individuals in appropriate habitat
      at proper time of year.
C   Common: Usually each to see good numbers of individuals in appropriate habitat
      at proper time of year.
U   Uncommon: Sometimes found in appropriate habitat and proper time of year,
      usually in low numbers.
O   Occasional: Found in appropriate habitat perhaps only a few times a year, usually
      in low numbers.
R   Rare: Small chance of being found, even in appropriate habitat at proper time of
      year. There are few individuals and may not be present every year.
X   Extirpated: Formerly present, no longer occurs in Sky Meadows Park.

 

      January

      February

      March

      April
      May

      June

      July

      August

      September

      October

      November

      December

 

 

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