Peck's Skipper
Polites peckius (W. Kirby, 1837)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: 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.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm).
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.
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.
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 73 - 96 of 6337 verified sightings
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Observation date: Sep 13, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 14, 2022
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Observation date: Aug 29, 2022
Submitted by: calvertm
Region: Tyler County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 12, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/7757da33-189e-4157-8988-b17fa61af640.jpeg?itok=XZA1kevs)
Observation date: Aug 28, 2022
Submitted by: Marquy275
Region: Wayne County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Sep 05, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20220806_185917.jpg?itok=iBNM5eLe)
Observation date: Aug 06, 2022
Submitted by: talusrutgers
Region: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Sep 05, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/ssskipper22_001_1280x918.jpg?itok=xYr0S_qg)
Observation date: Aug 17, 2022
Submitted by: philsfotos1
Region: Livingston County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Sep 05, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/adimral22_004_1280x8422.jpg?itok=E3rRagmV)
Observation date: Aug 25, 2022
Submitted by: philsfotos1
Region: Livingston County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Sep 05, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20220831_polites_peckius_nectaring_on_liaasp_-_schulenberg_prairie_lisle_il_3.jpg?itok=sMlJHqDn)
Observation date: Aug 31, 2022
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 04, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/9589de49-b700-455b-8b99-031368ab3b74.jpeg?itok=2-vg-v75)
Observation date: Aug 09, 2022
Submitted by: Katelbr
Region: Polk County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 04, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20220815_134221_hdr2.jpg?itok=KBxtg8R_)
Observation date: Aug 15, 2022
Submitted by: vireo-red
Region: Denver County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 04, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/taxiles_skipper_1_1.jpg?itok=HE484PCy)
Observation date: Aug 07, 2022
Submitted by: lforrester27
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 03, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_5207_4.jpg?itok=AyiI47gm)
Observation date: Jul 06, 2021
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Crawford County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 02, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_1648_7.jpg?itok=26v0Dh8k)
Observation date: Aug 31, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_1671_1_0.jpg?itok=rpcX9x7Z)
Observation date: Aug 31, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/pecks_skipper_7-11-22_yard.jpeg?itok=Fi8Am8WX)
Observation date: Jul 11, 2022
Submitted by: acb22
Region: Houghton County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 30, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/pecks_skipper_7-6_445p_nf.jpg?itok=cJHvqhn6)
Observation date: Jul 06, 2022
Submitted by: Kzfisherman
Region: Wexford County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 30, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2022_08_28_skipper_anise_hyssop.jpg?itok=aiRVSE1p)
Observation date: Aug 28, 2022
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 29, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/3w1a0158_00001.jpg?itok=rSsB3s7A)
Observation date: Aug 28, 2022
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 29, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_3957.jpg?itok=3EnvG0Rb)
Observation date: Aug 26, 2022
Submitted by: Joceb2005
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 28, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_1006_8.jpg?itok=cS4PWlZt)
Observation date: Aug 21, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 22, 2022
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Observation date: Aug 22, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 22, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/c47e397f-71ff-4b3c-bbd6-fb820e7fd0a7.jpeg?itok=fqL10tif)
Observation date: Aug 21, 2022
Submitted by: TJ in Derry
Region: Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 21, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/8eb8c0fc-c360-4dc2-a9e4-694a324fce28.jpeg?itok=ZNLTxzXy)
Observation date: Aug 17, 2022
Submitted by: Macmurrj
Region: Erie County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 17, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/id_skipper_7.22a.jpg?itok=k2KATjJN)
Observation date: Jul 14, 2022
Submitted by: rarluck@gmail.com
Region: Loudoun County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Aug 14, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/pecks_skipper_8.jpeg?itok=DGn5CnwL)
Observation date: Aug 12, 2022
Submitted by: Jim Lowe
Region: Onondaga County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 13, 2022
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