Attributes of Hesperia attalus
Dotted Skipper
Hesperia attalus (W.H. Edwards, 1871)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Variable and rarely seen. Forewing is pointed, particularly in the male. Male: Upperside is dull brownish orange with wide dark borders; stigma on forewing has black felt. Female: Upperside is dark brown with pale spots; underside is green-brown to dull orange with or without small pale spots.
Wing Span: 1 3/8 - 1 5/8 inches (3.5 - 4.2 cm).
Life History: Males perch to watch for receptive females. Eggs are deposited on or near the host. Caterpillars feed on grass leaves and live in silken tubes at the base of grass clumps. They overwinter in shelters that are partially buried.
Flight: Two broods from May-September with a longer flight period in Florida.
Caterpillar Hosts: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and fall witchgrass (Leptoloma cognatum).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of prickly pear cactus, alfalfa, thistles, and purple coneflower.
Habitat: Short-grass prairies, pine barrens, and woodland meadows.
Range: Atlantic seaboard from eastern Massachusetts (rarely) south to peninsular Florida and the Gulf Coast. A separate population occurs from central Kansas south to east-central Texas. Strays to eastern Nebraska.
Conservation: Populations should be conserved wherever they are found.
NCGR: G3 - Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range (21 to 100 occurrences). (Threatened throughout its range).
Management Needs: Care should be taken not to eliminate populations by overuse of fire on small preserves.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Hesperia attalus
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The map below displays all verified sighting records in the BAMONA database for this species. Each record is indicated with a yellow dot. The orange dots on the map provide access to information about the 400 most recently verified sightings of this species. In some instances, there are several records at the same location. Use the table view to access these records.
Instructions: Click on the map and move your mouse to pan.
Zoom by using the plus [+] and minus [-] on the left side of the map.
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The fifty most recently verified sightings are below. See more recently verified sightings of all species.
| Observation Date | Submitter | Region |
Verified Date |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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September 05, 2010 | aahewetson | Texas, United States, Wilbarger County | March 03, 2011 | Details |
| September 23, 2007 | legacy.reporter (Bill Berthet) | Clay County, Florida, United States | August 07, 2009 | Details | |
| August 24, 2008 | legacy.reporter (Bill Berthet) | Clay County, Florida, United States | August 07, 2009 | Details | |
| September 02, 2007 | legacy.reporter (Bill Berthet) | Clay County, Florida, United States | August 07, 2009 | Details | |
| September 02, 2007 | legacy.reporter (Bill Berthet) | Clay County, Florida, United States | August 07, 2009 | Details | |
| September 02, 2007 | legacy.reporter (Bill Berthet) | Clay County, Florida, United States | August 07, 2009 | Details | |
| September 23, 2007 | legacy.reporter (Bill Berthet) | Clay County, Florida, United States | August 07, 2009 | Details | |
| August 29, 2005 | legacy.reporter (Smith, Bill & Janet) | Alfalfa County, Oklahoma, United States | April 03, 2009 | Details | |
| June 07, 2005 | legacy.reporter (Fisher, John) | Comanche County, Oklahoma, United States | April 03, 2009 | Details | |
| June 01, 2004 | legacy.reporter (Nelson, John M. & Edwards, David & Fisher, John) | Ellis County, Oklahoma, United States | April 03, 2009 | Details | |
| May 20, 2004 | legacy.reporter (Nelson, John M.) | Jackson County, Oklahoma, United States | April 03, 2009 | Details | |
| May 30, 2006 | legacy.reporter (Nelson, John M. & Fisher, John) | Major County, Oklahoma, United States | April 03, 2009 | Details | |
| September 13, 2006 | legacy.reporter (Fisher, John) | Osage County, Oklahoma, United States | April 03, 2009 | Details | |
| September 24, 2005 | legacy.reporter (Brian G. Scholtens) | Chesterfield County, South Carolina, United States | July 25, 2008 | Details | |
| July 21, 2007 | legacy.reporter (Linda & Buck Cooper) | Osceola County, Florida, United States | August 30, 2007 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | St Clair County, Missouri, United States | March 12, 2007 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Ocean County, New Jersey, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Camden County, New Jersey, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Burlington County, New Jersey, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Douglas County, Nebraska, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Alachua County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Charlotte County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Citrus County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Clay County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Collier County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Duval County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Escambia County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Hernando County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Highlands County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Hillsborough County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Indian River County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Lake County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Lee County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Levy County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Liberty County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Marion County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Martin County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Okaloosa County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Orange County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Osceola County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Pinellas County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Polk County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Putnam County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | St Johns County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | St Lucie County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Sarasota County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details |
