Sachem
Atalopedes campestris (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside of male is yellow-orange with a wide brown border and a large squarish black stigma. Female upperside varies from yellow-brown to very dark brown, but always has a square transparent white spot at the end of the forewing cell. Underside of female hindwing is brown with nearly square cream or white spots.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 5/8 inches (3.2 - 4.2 cm).
Life History: Males perch on or near the ground during most of the day to wait for receptive females. Females lay single eggs on dry grass blades in the afternoon. Caterpillars feed on leaves and live at the base of grasses in shelters of rolled or tied leaves.
Flight: Three broods from May-November in the north; four to five broods from March-December in the Deep South.
Caterpillar Hosts: Grasses including Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), crabgrass (Digitaria), St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), and goosegrass (Eleusine).
Adult Food: Nectar from many flowers including swamp and common milkweeds, buttonbush, dogbane, peppermint, red clover, tickseed sunflower, thistles, New York ironweed, marigold, and asters.
Habitat: Disturbed, open areas such as roadsides, landfills, pastures, meadows, fencerows, yards, parks, and lawns.
Range: Southern United States from Virginia west to California; south through Mexico and Central America to Brazil. Strays and colonizes north to central North Dakota, southern Michigan, Manitoba, and northern Pennsylvania.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 4115 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 06, 2024
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Scott County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 24, 2024
Observation date: Aug 07, 2012
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Apr 15, 2024
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Apr 11, 2024
Observation date: Oct 16, 2023
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 01, 2024
Observation date: Oct 07, 2023
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 01, 2024
Observation date: Oct 07, 2023
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 01, 2024
Observation date: Oct 01, 2022
Submitted by: terrymortier
Region: Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 05, 2024
Observation date: Oct 04, 2023
Submitted by: Rick Sinnott
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 15, 2024
Observation date: Oct 01, 2023
Submitted by: Rick Sinnott
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 15, 2024
Observation date: May 29, 2023
Submitted by: ms722
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 15, 2024
Observation date: Oct 14, 2014
Submitted by: Redheart Canyonlands
Region: Bandera County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 13, 2024
Observation date: Apr 19, 2015
Submitted by: Redheart Canyonlands
Region: Bandera County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 13, 2024
Observation date: Oct 04, 2023
Submitted by: Rick Sinnott
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jan 25, 2024
Observation date: Sep 30, 2023
Submitted by: Rick Sinnott
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jan 25, 2024
Observation date: Oct 01, 2023
Submitted by: Rick Sinnott
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jan 25, 2024
Observation date: Oct 03, 2023
Submitted by: Rick Sinnott
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jan 25, 2024
Observation date: Aug 15, 1990
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Riverside County, California, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jan 06, 2024
Observation date: Aug 24, 2023
Submitted by: stevecary
Region:
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 04, 2023
Observation date: Nov 24, 2023
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Otero County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 27, 2023
Observation date: Sep 14, 1999
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Stearns County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 25, 2023
Observation date: Sep 29, 2023
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 21, 2023
Observation date: Oct 05, 2023
Submitted by: madamirie
Region: Santa Cruz County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 24, 2023
Observation date: Oct 03, 2023
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Cimarron County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Oct 24, 2023
Observation date: Oct 20, 2023
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Harvey County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Oct 20, 2023
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