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Species Detail
Pahaska Skipper
Hesperia pahaska (Leussler, 1938)
Attributes of Hesperia pahaskaFamily: Skippers (Hesperiidae) Subfamily: Grass Skippers (Hesperiinae) Identification: Upperside is yellow-orange with wide black borders. Male has yellow felt in the forewing stigma. Underside of hindwing is orange-brown with a short band of white spots. Life history: To wait for receptive females, males perch on hilltops all day. Females deposit eggs singly on or near the host plants; caterpillars feed on leaves and take shelter in tied-together leaves. Caterpillars hibernate. Flight: One brood from May-July in the north; two broods from April-October in the south. Wing span: 1 1/4 - 1 5/8 inches (3.2 - 4.2 cm). Caterpillar hosts: Various grasses including blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) and fluff grass (Erioneuron pulchellum). Adult food: Flower nectar. Habitat: Short-grass prairie foothills, open pine forest, chaparral, desert grassland. Range: Through the Rocky Mountain range from central Montana and northwest North Dakota south to central Mexico; west to southeast California. A stray to northwest Minnesota. Conservation: Not usually required. NatureServe Global Status: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery. Management needs: None reported. | Documented Records for Hesperia pahaska
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