Peck's skipper | skymeadows

Peck's skipper (Polites peckius)

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.

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

IDENTIFICATION: Upperside of male is brown with reddish-orange
patches; forewing has a sinuous stigma. Female is darker with no
stigma. Underside of the hindwing of both sexes has a patch of large
yellow spots in the center surrounded by dark brown.

LIFE HISTORY: Males perch in sunny open areas to await receptive
females, and courtship takes place throughout the day. Females lay
eggs singly; caterpillars eat leaves and live in leaf shelters.
Caterpillars and chrysalids hibernate.

FLIGHT: Two to three broods from May-October.

WING SPAN: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm).

CATERPILLAR HOSTS: Rice cutgrass (Leersia oryzoides); probably
bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and others.

ADULT FOOD: Nectar from flowers including red clover, purple vetch,
thistles, selfheal, New York ironweed, blue vervain, common
milkweed, swamp milkweed, dogbane, and New Jersey tea.

HABITAT: Many open grassy habitats including meadows, prairies,
lawns, marshes, landfills, roadsides, vacant lots, and power line right-
of-ways.

RANGE: British Columbia east across southern Canada to Nova Scotia;
south to northeastern Oregon, southern Colorado, northwest Arkansas,
and northern Georgia.

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.