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.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 4837 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 28, 2022
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Dec 30, 2022
Observation date: Sep 06, 2022
Submitted by: bchensel
Region: Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 01, 2022
Observation date: May 18, 2020
Submitted by: sari
Region: Fort Bend County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Aug 06, 2022
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Washington County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 05, 2022
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: McCurtain County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Aug 29, 2022
Submitted by: KABerry
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 23, 2022
Observation date: Jun 03, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: Boone County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Eric Wood
Verified date: Sep 18, 2022
Observation date: Sep 11, 2022
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: Buffalo County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 13, 2022
Observation date: Sep 03, 2022
Submitted by: Ian Pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 08, 2022
Observation date: Sep 03, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 04, 2022
Observation date: Jul 04, 2021
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Crawford County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 02, 2022
Observation date: Aug 31, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 26, 2022
Submitted by: pporonto
Region: Macomb County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 30, 2022
Observation date: Jul 02, 2022
Submitted by: Roose
Region: Saginaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 30, 2022
Observation date: Aug 27, 2022
Submitted by: drfrench
Region: Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 28, 2022
Observation date: Aug 22, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 23, 2022
Observation date: Aug 21, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 22, 2022
Observation date: Aug 21, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 22, 2022
Observation date: Aug 14, 2022
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 16, 2022
Submitted by: KSkrehot
Region: Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 16, 2022
Observation date: Oct 05, 2017
Submitted by: KenL
Region: Virginia, United States, Williamsburg
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Aug 14, 2022
Observation date: Jun 05, 2022
Submitted by: KSkrehot
Region: Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 12, 2022
Observation date: Aug 10, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 11, 2022
Observation date: Aug 10, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 11, 2022
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