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 121 - 144 of 1330 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 15, 2016
Submitted by: Allen Belden
Region: Powhatan County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: richardhsmith
Verified date: Apr 27, 2016
Observation date: Mar 28, 2016
Submitted by: MaryAnn Friedman
Region: Walton County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 29, 2016
Observation date: Jul 25, 2015
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Johnson County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Mar 08, 2016
Observation date: May 21, 2015
Submitted by: Joe Bartok
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Nov 14, 2015
Observation date: Jul 05, 2015
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 14, 2015
Observation date: Aug 09, 2015
Submitted by: Stylurus
Region: Jackson County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 20, 2015
Observation date: Aug 14, 2015
Submitted by: gunhilda
Region: Payne County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 14, 2015
Observation date: Jul 29, 2015
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 31, 2015
Observation date: Jul 03, 2015
Submitted by: gunhilda
Region: Payne County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 23, 2015
Observation date: Jul 04, 2015
Submitted by: roseanna
Region: Pulaski County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 12, 2015
Observation date: May 22, 2015
Submitted by: BeaLaporte
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: May 26, 2015
Observation date: May 17, 2015
Submitted by: tom howe
Region: Van Buren County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: May 23, 2015
Observation date: Apr 26, 2015
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Apr 27, 2015
Observation date: Apr 19, 2015
Submitted by: mdolomieu1
Region: Greene County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Apr 20, 2015
Observation date: Apr 10, 2015
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Apr 12, 2015
Observation date: Jul 08, 2014
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Sheridan County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 02, 2014
Observation date: Aug 21, 2014
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 21, 2014
Observation date: Jul 29, 2014
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 29, 2014
Observation date: Jun 21, 2014
Submitted by: gunhilda
Region: Payne County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 10, 2014
Observation date: Jun 26, 2014
Submitted by: Debbie Taylor
Region: Pope County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 10, 2014
Observation date: Jul 09, 2014
Submitted by: gunhilda
Region: Payne County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 09, 2014
Observation date: May 07, 2014
Submitted by: gunhilda
Region: Payne County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 05, 2014
Observation date: May 04, 2014
Submitted by: Doug Bruce
Region: Scott County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: S. J. Stedman
Verified date: May 09, 2014
Observation date: May 07, 2014
Submitted by: gunhilda
Region: Payne County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 08, 2014
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