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Species Detail
Taxiles Skipper
Poanes taxiles (W.H. Edwards, 1881)
Attributes of Poanes taxilesFamily: Skippers (Hesperiidae) Subfamily: Grass Skippers (Hesperiinae) Identification: Male narrow black borders; underside of forewing with slightly darkened tip and outer margin; underside of hindwing with darkened base and outer margin. Female: Upperside is dark orange-brown with pale orange patches on the forewing and central hindwing. Underside of hindwing is violet-brown with a pale band of spots and a patch of gray scales near the outer margin. Life history: Males perch in sunlit openings on leaves about 3-5 feet above the ground. They appear to defend their territory and may keep a perch for as long as 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: One brood from mid-June to August. Wing span: 1 1/4 - 1 11/16 inches (3.2 - 4.3 cm). Caterpillar hosts: Grasses including bluegrass (Poa), wheatgrass (Agropyron), orchardgrass (Dactylis), wildrye (Elymus), and bentgrass (Agrostis). Adult food: Flower nectar. Habitat: Woodland openings, stream valleys, forest meadows. Range: Western South Dakota and north-central Nebraska south through the southern Rocky Mountains and foothills to central Mexico. 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 Poanes taxiles
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