Attributes of Polites themistocles
Tawny-edged Skipper
Polites themistocles (Latreille, [1824])
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside is dark brown with orange markings; orange along the costal edge of forewing enters the end of the cell. Male has a sinuous forewing stigma. Underside of hindwing is brassy with no markings.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 7/16 inches (2.2 - 3.6 cm).
Life History: To await receptive females, males perch all day in grassy valley bottoms and swales. Females lay eggs singly on or near the host plant. Caterpillars feed on leaves and live in shelters of tied leaves. Chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: One brood from June-July in the north, two broods from April-September from New York south, several broods throughout the year in Florida.
Caterpillar Hosts: Panic grasses (Panicum), slender crabgrass (Digitaria filiformis), and bluegrass (Poa pratensis).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including alfalfa, red clover, dogbane, shrub houstonia, purple coneflower, thistles, and chicory.
Habitat: Moist grassy areas including prairie swales, pastures, lawns, roadsides, and vacant lots.
Range: Southern British Columbia east across southern Canada to Nova Scotia; south to northern California, central Arizona, central Texas, the Gulf states, and central Florida.
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.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Polites themistocles
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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 200 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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May 07, 2012 | HClenin | Platte County, Missouri, United States | May 08, 2012 | Details |
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July 25, 2010 | rdhealy1951 | Hardin County, Kentucky, United States | November 29, 2011 | Details |
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August 14, 2008 | RaisingButterflies.org | Davis County, Utah, United States | November 29, 2011 | Details |
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August 12, 2011 | curtis.lehman | Pendleton County, West Virginia, United States | October 17, 2011 | Details |
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August 09, 2011 | Randy L Anderson | Henderson County, Illinois, United States | September 02, 2011 | Details |
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August 28, 2011 | Doug Bruce | Bledsoe County, Tennessee, United States | September 01, 2011 | Details |
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August 27, 2011 | Doug Bruce | Hamblen County, Tennessee, United States | August 31, 2011 | Details |
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September 18, 2010 | Howell Curtis | Madison County, Indiana, United States | August 30, 2011 | Details |
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August 15, 2011 | rjcohrs | Hancock County, Indiana, United States | August 30, 2011 | Details |
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August 25, 2011 | Molanic | Du Page County, Illinois, United States | August 28, 2011 | Details |
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June 02, 2011 | Stephen Kloiber | Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States | August 27, 2011 | Details |
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August 04, 2010 | menasian | Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States | August 27, 2011 | Details |
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August 07, 2011 | HHowell | Grainger County, Tennessee, United States | August 24, 2011 | Details |
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August 20, 2011 | Doug Bruce | Johnson County, Tennessee, United States | August 22, 2011 | Details |
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September 21, 2009 | Howell Curtis | Harrison County, Indiana, United States | August 18, 2011 | Details |
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August 13, 2011 | Doug Bruce | Warren County, Tennessee, United States | August 15, 2011 | Details |
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August 07, 2011 | Doug Bruce | Union County, Tennessee, United States | August 09, 2011 | Details |
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August 02, 2011 | brdwtchr | Texas County, Missouri, United States | August 05, 2011 | Details |
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September 20, 2010 | Howell Curtis | Madison County, Indiana, United States | August 02, 2011 | Details |
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July 23, 2008 | rseidler | Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States | July 10, 2011 | Details |
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June 09, 2011 | K Stilwell | Russell County, Virginia, United States | June 14, 2011 | Details |
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June 04, 2011 | beastbreath | Ingham County, Michigan, United States | June 06, 2011 | Details |
| May 22, 2011 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Baldwin County, Alabama, United States | May 31, 2011 | Details | |
| May 29, 2011 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Bibb County, Alabama, United States | May 31, 2011 | Details | |
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August 25, 2010 | Julius | Bradley County, Tennessee, United States | May 27, 2011 | Details |
| June 06, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Keilb, Mike) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 06, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Swales, John) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 16, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Swales, John with Martin Bialecki, Mike and Susan Kielb ) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 07, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Keilb, Mike) | Cheboygan County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 08, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Heuvelhorst, Bonnie with Rick Baetsen, DennyBrooks, Katherine Carothers, Andy Carter, Mark Jaunzems, Stephen Kay, Karen Lamonte, Janea Little, Mason Schafer, Melvin Schafer, Richard Urbanek, Myrtle Wilke, Robert Wood) | Schoolcraft County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 14, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Little, Janea, with Gene Beckham, Denny Brooks, Katherine Carothers, Donna & Ralph Czerepinski, Monica Essenmacher, Bob Lederhouse, Betty Secrist, Wendy Skory, Cathy Yanacek) | Midland County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| August 09, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Reinoehl, Jack) | Hillsdale County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 01, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Keilb, Mike) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 02, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Swales, John) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 14, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Keilb, Mike) | Berrien County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| May 29, 1996 | legacy.reporter (McWhirter, Doug) | Eaton County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 21, 1996 | legacy.reporter (Swales, John with M. & S. Bialecki, Richard Brown, D. & E. Shappirio, C. Swift, Roger Wykes. ) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 10, 1996 | legacy.reporter (Webster, Ken) | Oakland County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| August 03, 1996 | legacy.reporter (Hicks, Timothy with Janet Helmer, M. Hicks, Ken Sherburn, J. Walhout) | Muskegon County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 01, 1996 | legacy.reporter (McWhirter, Doug) | Barry County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 01, 1996 | legacy.reporter (McWhirter, Doug) | Eaton County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 01, 1996 | legacy.reporter (Granlund, Jim) | Roscommon County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 01, 1996 | legacy.reporter (McWhirter, Doug) | Van Buren County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 01, 1996 | legacy.reporter (Swales, John) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 09, 1997 | legacy.reporter (McWhirter, Doug) | Ingham County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 13, 1997 | legacy.reporter (McWhirter, Doug) | Dickinson County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 16, 1997 | legacy.reporter (McWhirter, Doug) | Mackinac County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 16, 1997 | legacy.reporter (Perkins, Owen A.) | Oakland County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 21, 1997 | legacy.reporter (McWhirter, Doug) | Eaton County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 21, 1997 | legacy.reporter (Brown, Richard w/ Breandan Brown, John Farmer, Roger Kuhlman, Darrin O' Brien, John Swales, and Roger Wykes.) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details |
