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Bronze Roadside-Skipper
Amblyscirtes aenus W.H. Edwards, 1878
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside is brown with a slight orange sheen; forewing with a few faint pale spots, hindwing with no markings. Male stigma is obscure. Underside of hindwing is reddish brown with a row of pale spots. Form "erna" lacks spots on the hindwing underside.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: To wait for receptive females, males perch and patrol all day in gully bottoms. Caterpillars eat the leaves of host plants and make shelters of rolled or tied leaves. Half-grown caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: One brood in Colorado from April-July; two broods southward from April-September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Indian woodoats grass (Chasmanthium latifolia), sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), nodding brome (Bromus anomalus), and probably other grasses.
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Gullies, stream bottoms, and foothills in open woodlands and grasslands; coniferous forests.
Range: Colorado and southen Utah south to Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico; south and east to central Texas, western Oklahoma, and south-central Kansas.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Pollinator Week was June 20-26, 2022!
Butterflies and moths are accidental pollinators of many flowering plants. While most species do not have special structures to carry pollen, they do brush against pollen and transfer it to other flowers.
Did you know? The Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas) flies close to the ground and uses its short proboscis to probe flowers of wild strawberry, white sweet clover, and other low-lying plants.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 164 verified sightings

Observation date: Aug 06, 2007
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 04, 2020

Observation date: Jun 10, 2007
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 04, 2020

Observation date: Jun 05, 2007
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Sierra County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 04, 2020

Observation date: Apr 20, 2017
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: De Baca County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 04, 2020

Observation date: May 16, 2019
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Feb 02, 2020

Observation date: Jun 08, 2019
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Las Animas County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 21, 2019

Observation date: Apr 28, 2014
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 20, 2018

Observation date: Apr 30, 2015
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Baca County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Dec 29, 2017

Observation date: Jul 20, 2017
Submitted by: rkost73
Region: Bandera County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 01, 2017

Observation date: Aug 16, 2016
Submitted by: pporonto
Region: Yavapai County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Aug 19, 2016

Observation date: Aug 09, 2014
Submitted by: RMichaelson
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 10, 2014

Observation date: Jul 27, 2014
Submitted by: John Wilson
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 27, 2014

Observation date: Apr 25, 2014
Submitted by: joeschelling
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 27, 2014

Observation date: Aug 01, 1989
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Clifford D. Ferris)
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012

Observation date: Sep 22, 1989
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jim Brock)
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012

Observation date: Jul 07, 2012
Submitted by: Matt ODonnell
Region: Catron County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 21, 2012

Observation date: Jul 07, 2012
Submitted by: Matt ODonnell
Region: Catron County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 21, 2012

Observation date: May 10, 2012
Submitted by: joeschelling
Region: Torrance County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 15, 2012

Observation date: Jul 22, 1977
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Charles Sekerman)
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012

Observation date: Sep 04, 2010
Submitted by: aahewetson
Region: Texas, Throckmorton County, United States
Verified by: kmortensen
Verified date: Mar 03, 2011

Observation date: Aug 03, 1988
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011

Observation date: Jul 27, 2005
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011

Observation date: Aug 06, 1994
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011

Observation date: Aug 07, 2005
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
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