Zabulon Skipper
Poanes zabulon (Boisduval & Leconte, [1837])
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Male black borders and no stigma. Underside of hindwing is mostly yellow with a dark brown wingbase and outer margin. Female: Upperside is purple-brown with pale yellow spots; underside of hindwing is brown and purple-gray with a white-edged costal margin.
Wing Span: 1 3/8 - 1 5/8 inches (3.5 - 4.2 cm).
Life History: Males perch in sunlit openings or edges on leaves about 3-5 feet above the ground. They appear to defend their territory and may keep a perch for up to a week. Courtship usually occurs in the afternoon. Females lay eggs singly under the host leaves. Caterpillars feed on leaves and make shelters of silk-tied leaves.
Flight: Two broods from May-September in the north; several broods all year in the tropical highlands.
Caterpillar Hosts: Grasses including lovegrass (Eragrostis), purpletop (Tridens), bluegrass (Poa), wheatgrass (Agropyron), orchardgrass (Dactylis), wildrye (Elymus), and bentgrass (Agrostis).
Adult Food: Nectar from a variety of flowers including the exotics Japanese honeysuckle, red clover, everlasting pea, and selfheal; and the natives blackberry, purple vetch, common milkweed, buttonbush, joe-pye weed, and thistles.
Habitat: Brushy openings near moist forests and streams.
Range: Massachusetts west through southern Michigan to central Kansas; south to central Florida, southern Louisiana, and northeast Texas. Strays to New Mexico, South Dakota, and southern Quebec. A separate population ranges from central Mexico south to Panama.
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 2695 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 12, 2025
Submitted by: NaturallyWade
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 03, 2026
Observation date: Jun 06, 2020
Submitted by: schaarschmidt
Region: DeKalb County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: Alex Stach
Verified date: Mar 25, 2026
Observation date: Jul 20, 2024
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: St. Joseph County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 23, 2026
Observation date: Aug 25, 2024
Submitted by: Graycatbird88
Region: Rockland County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 21, 2026
Observation date: Aug 03, 2025
Submitted by: Susan McSwain
Region: Nelson County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 18, 2026
Observation date: Apr 25, 2023
Submitted by: Mboater
Region: Amherst County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 18, 2026
Observation date: Jul 26, 2024
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 17, 2026
Observation date: Sep 10, 2023
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Lenawee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 17, 2026
Observation date: May 18, 2024
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Hillsdale County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 17, 2026
Observation date: Aug 11, 2024
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Lenawee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Aug 19, 2024
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Aug 21, 2024
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Allegan County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Aug 19, 2024
Submitted by: G215
Region: Oakland County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Aug 14, 2024
Submitted by: beastbreath
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Jun 07, 2025
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Shiawassee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Aug 18, 2025
Submitted by: LittleWoodSatyr
Region: Hillsdale County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Sep 02, 2025
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Aug 11, 2025
Submitted by: RyanLaRuffa
Region: Ottawa County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Jun 28, 2025
Submitted by: Martin Neil UK
Region: Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: Alex Stach
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Aug 11, 2025
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Aug 29, 2025
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ionia County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: May 25, 2025
Submitted by: Graycatbird88
Region: Orange County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 08, 2026
Observation date: Jul 16, 2024
Submitted by: Graycatbird88
Region: Rockland County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 27, 2026
Observation date: Jul 18, 2025
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
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