Least Skipper
Ancyloxypha numitor (Fabricius, 1793)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Antennae are short. Upperside of forewing is orange with a wide, diffuse black border at the outer margin; hindwing is yellow-orange with a wide black margin. Underside of forewing is black with orange borders at the tip and leading edge; hindwing is yellow-orange.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: Males patrol for females with a low, fluttery flight through grassy areas. Females lay eggs singly on grass blades. Caterpillars feed on leaves and rest in nests of rolled or tied leaves. Third- and fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: Three broods from May-October in most of the range, four broods from February-December in the Deep South and Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various grasses including marsh millet (Zizaniopsis miliacea), rice cutgrass (Leersia oryzoides), and cultivated rice (Oryza sativa).
Adult Food: Flower nectar from low growing plants such as wood sorrel, swamp verbena, pickerelweed, chickory, and white clover.
Habitat: Moist or wet open places with tall grasses, marshes, ditches, slow streams, hillsides, or old fields with tall grasses.
Range: Nova Scotia west to southern Saskatchewan; south through the eastern states to Florida, the Gulf states, Texas, and southeastern Arizona. Strays to central Colorado.
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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 4897 verified sightings

Observation date: May 26, 2025
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Liberty County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 20, 2025

Observation date: Jul 18, 2025
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 18, 2025

Observation date: Jul 15, 2025
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 17, 2025

Observation date: Jun 26, 2025
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025

Observation date: Jul 09, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025

Observation date: Jul 27, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Warren County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025

Observation date: Sep 12, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025

Observation date: Sep 01, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025

Observation date: Aug 03, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Union County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025

Observation date: Jul 31, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025

Observation date: Aug 08, 2021
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025

Observation date: Jul 31, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025

Observation date: Jul 03, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025

Observation date: Jun 24, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025

Observation date: Jul 09, 2025
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 10, 2025

Observation date: Jun 20, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 08, 2025

Observation date: Jun 22, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 08, 2025

Observation date: Jul 01, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 07, 2025

Observation date: Jun 30, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 07, 2025

Observation date: Jun 19, 2025
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 21, 2025

Observation date: Jun 12, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Feb 27, 2025

Observation date: Sep 09, 1994
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Collin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 17, 2024

Observation date: Aug 29, 2020
Submitted by: kent
Region: District of Columbia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 14, 2024

Observation date: Sep 02, 2021
Submitted by: DVL
Region: District of Columbia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 14, 2024
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