Common Roadside-Skipper
Amblyscirtes vialis (W.H. Edwards, 1862)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside is black with a few small white spots at the tip of the forewing. Underside is dark brown with violet-gray at the forewing tip and the outer half of the hindwing.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/4 inches (2.2 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: To await receptive females, males perch on the ground or low plants in forest openings or edges, waving their antennae in small circles. Females deposit eggs singly on the host plants; caterpillars eat leaves, and make shelters of rolled and tied leaves. Caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: One brood from March-July; a partial second brood up to September in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various grasses including wild oats (Avena), bent grass (Agrostis), bluegrass (Poa), Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), and Indian woodoats grass (Chasmanthium latifolia).
Adult Food: These skippers prefer nectar from low-growing blue flowers including verbena and selfheal.
Habitat: Open areas in or near woodland, often close to streams.
Range: The Roadside Skipper is the most widespread skipper in North America. It occurs from British Columbia east across southern Canada to Maine and Nova Scotia; south to central California, northern New Mexico, Texas, the Gulf states, and northern 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.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 97 - 120 of 1331 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 01, 2018
Submitted by: Doug Bruce
Region: Roane County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Jul 01, 2018
Observation date: Jun 05, 2018
Submitted by: mbalame99
Region: Clatsop County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 27, 2018
Observation date: Jun 12, 2018
Submitted by: pjarvi
Region: Antrim County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jun 13, 2018
Observation date: Apr 27, 2018
Submitted by: KS bird-man
Region: Saline County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 04, 2018
Observation date: Aug 01, 2006
Submitted by: rseidler
Region: Polk County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Feb 27, 2018
Observation date: Sep 27, 2017
Submitted by: cblazo
Region: Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 05, 2017
Observation date: Jun 06, 2016
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Sep 22, 2017
Observation date: Jul 21, 2017
Submitted by: julmast
Region: Elkhart County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Jul 21, 2017
Observation date: Jul 09, 2017
Submitted by: Doug Bruce
Region: Morgan County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Jul 19, 2017
Observation date: May 28, 2017
Submitted by: wayne13114
Region: Jefferson County, New York, United States
Verified by: wayne13114
Verified date: Jun 19, 2017
Observation date: Jun 11, 2017
Submitted by: Sue Orlowski
Region: Pend Oreille County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 12, 2017
Observation date: Jun 09, 2017
Submitted by: jvkopple2
Region: Kalkaska County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jun 09, 2017
Observation date: May 28, 2017
Submitted by: davidboon
Region: Macomb County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: May 29, 2017
Observation date: May 09, 2017
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: McCurtain County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: Jeff Trahan
Verified date: May 17, 2017
Observation date: Jul 31, 2016
Submitted by: Stylurus
Region: Lenawee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Feb 09, 2017
Observation date: Jun 16, 2016
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Weston County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jan 10, 2017
Observation date: Jul 27, 2016
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Lincoln County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 22, 2016
Observation date: Jun 17, 2016
Submitted by: Sue Orlowski
Region: Pend Oreille County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 12, 2016
Observation date: Jul 04, 2016
Submitted by: gunhilda
Region: Payne County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 04, 2016
Observation date: Jul 26, 2007
Submitted by: Pierre Howard
Region: Georgia, Taylor County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 01, 2016
Observation date: May 20, 2016
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 13, 2016
Observation date: May 14, 2016
Submitted by: treichard
Region: Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: richardhsmith
Verified date: Jun 12, 2016
Observation date: May 14, 2016
Submitted by: bobscafe
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Jun 01, 2016
Observation date: May 24, 2016
Submitted by: cblazo
Region: Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 25, 2016
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