Sachem
Atalopedes campestris (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside of male is yellow-orange with a wide brown border and a large squarish black stigma. Female upperside varies from yellow-brown to very dark brown, but always has a square transparent white spot at the end of the forewing cell. Underside of female hindwing is brown with nearly square cream or white spots.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 5/8 inches (3.2 - 4.2 cm).
Life History: Males perch on or near the ground during most of the day to wait for receptive females. Females lay single eggs on dry grass blades in the afternoon. Caterpillars feed on leaves and live at the base of grasses in shelters of rolled or tied leaves.
Flight: Three broods from May-November in the north; four to five broods from March-December in the Deep South.
Caterpillar Hosts: Grasses including Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), crabgrass (Digitaria), St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), and goosegrass (Eleusine).
Adult Food: Nectar from many flowers including swamp and common milkweeds, buttonbush, dogbane, peppermint, red clover, tickseed sunflower, thistles, New York ironweed, marigold, and asters.
Habitat: Disturbed, open areas such as roadsides, landfills, pastures, meadows, fencerows, yards, parks, and lawns.
Range: Southern United States from Virginia west to California; south through Mexico and Central America to Brazil. Strays and colonizes north to central North Dakota, southern Michigan, Manitoba, and northern Pennsylvania.
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 3196 verified sightings
Observation date: Mar 14, 2019
Submitted by: KateTweedy
Region: Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Mar 23, 2019
Observation date: Mar 21, 2019
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Hendry County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 22, 2019
Observation date: Mar 02, 2019
Submitted by: KateTweedy
Region: Glynn County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Mar 05, 2019
Observation date: Jun 25, 2018
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Mar 03, 2019
Observation date: Aug 09, 2011
Submitted by: vldeloach
Region: Cherokee County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Feb 11, 2019
Observation date: Aug 11, 2011
Submitted by: vldeloach
Region: Cherokee County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Feb 08, 2019
Observation date: Aug 04, 2010
Submitted by: vldeloach
Region: Fulton County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jan 08, 2019
Observation date: Aug 26, 2010
Submitted by: vldeloach
Region: Fulton County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jan 08, 2019
Observation date: Oct 24, 2016
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Newberry County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 24, 2018
Observation date: Jun 01, 2017
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Cherokee County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 24, 2018
Observation date: Jun 16, 2018
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Calhoun County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 24, 2018
Observation date: Aug 24, 2018
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 24, 2018
Observation date: Aug 24, 2018
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Oconee County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 24, 2018
Observation date: Nov 27, 2018
Submitted by: rkdale
Region: Denton County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 30, 2018
Observation date: Nov 11, 2016
Submitted by: marley
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 21, 2018
Observation date: Sep 05, 2018
Submitted by: HSVGardenGirl
Region: Benton County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Nov 20, 2018
Observation date: Aug 23, 2018
Submitted by: mathgeek
Region: Jackson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 16, 2018
Observation date: Nov 02, 2018
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 15, 2018
Observation date: Aug 27, 2018
Submitted by: magnolyah
Region: Georgia, Towns County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Nov 04, 2018
Observation date: Aug 25, 2018
Submitted by: vldeloach
Region: Fannin County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Nov 04, 2018
Observation date: Oct 23, 2018
Submitted by: tnjbodker
Region: Blount County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Oct 27, 2018
Observation date: Oct 21, 2018
Submitted by: LLJohnson
Region: Texas, United States, Williamson County
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 26, 2018
Observation date: Oct 18, 2018
Submitted by: ChrissyL
Region: Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Oct 20, 2018
Observation date: Sep 16, 2018
Submitted by: Nick Pulcinella
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 18, 2018
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