Crossline Skipper
Polites origenes (Fabricius, 1793)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside is dark brown with orange markings. Female usually lacks orange along the forewing costa and has a square spot below the end of the cell; male has a long, straight forewing stigma. Underside of hindwing is orange-brown with a faint band of spots.
Wing Span: 1 1/8 - 1 1/2 inches (2.9 - 3.8 cm).
Life History: Males perch in open grassy areas most of the day to await receptive females. Courtship occurs from midday to mid-afternoon. Third- and fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: One brood from June-August in the north, two broods from May-September in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: Purpletop (Tridens flavus), little bluestem (Andropogon scoparius), and other grasses.
Adult Food: White, pink, or purple flowers are preferred including purple vetch, red clover, selfheal, dogbane, shrub houstonia, New Jersey tea, and New York ironweed.
Habitat: Open grassy areas including prairies hills, barrens, power line cuts, old fields, forest openings.
Range: Western North Dakota east across central Minnesota, southern Ontario, and southern Quebec to central Maine; south to northeast Texas, the Gulf Coast, and northern Florida. A separate population (P. o. rhena) occurs along the Rocky Mountains from northern Colorado to northeastern New Mexico.
Conservation: Populations of subspecies rhena, found in patches of all tall-grass prairies, should be conserved wherever found.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 1760 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 04, 2021
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Bedford County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jul 02, 2022
Observation date: Jul 01, 2022
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 30, 2022
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 09, 2022
Submitted by: StevebrownLepid
Region: Lynchburg, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jun 27, 2022
Observation date: Jun 04, 2022
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Fentress County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Jun 10, 2022
Observation date: Aug 16, 2020
Submitted by: webielenberg
Region: Blount County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: Jul 13, 2021
Submitted by: dave mcelveen
Region: Billings County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: Jul 13, 2021
Submitted by: dave mcelveen
Region: Billings County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: Jul 13, 2021
Submitted by: dave mcelveen
Region: Billings County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: Sep 14, 2021
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Marion County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: May 31, 2022
Observation date: Jun 06, 2012
Submitted by: gary yankech
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 19, 2021
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Jul 05, 2014
Submitted by: crx2aj3
Region: Albany County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Jun 04, 2021
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Franklin County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Feb 07, 2022
Observation date: Jun 17, 2017
Submitted by: trinectes
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 09, 2021
Observation date: Jun 18, 2017
Submitted by: jcblithe
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 09, 2021
Observation date: Aug 08, 2016
Submitted by: trinectes
Region: Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2021
Observation date: Aug 07, 2016
Submitted by: Jim Moore
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 28, 2021
Submitted by: p_stritch
Region: Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 29, 2021
Observation date: Jul 23, 2021
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 19, 2021
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 28, 2021
Observation date: Jul 23, 2021
Submitted by: alaimins
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2021
Observation date: Jul 01, 2021
Submitted by: Kzfisherman
Region: McHenry County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 21, 2021
Observation date: Jul 17, 2021
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Allegan County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 21, 2021
- ‹ previous
- 2 of 74
- next ›