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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 4143 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20240616_172615.jpg?itok=jIZgRRp_)
Observation date: Jun 16, 2024
Submitted by: Christinalea
Region: Texas, Wichita County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 17, 2024
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Observation date: Jun 11, 2024
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Harper County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 11, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_2288.jpeg?itok=9ctX1tOJ)
Observation date: Jun 08, 2024
Submitted by: Jgrugeon
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 09, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dfagan_woodland_skipper_ochlodes_sylvanoides_3_deschutes_co_060424.jpg?itok=N6NDDlSD)
Observation date: Jun 04, 2024
Submitted by: dfagan746
Region: Deschutes County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 07, 2024
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Observation date: May 25, 2024
Submitted by: Ozark_Bill
Region: Phelps County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 06, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/atalopedes_huron_1_huron_sachem.jpg?itok=5kLGmr0U)
Observation date: May 02, 2024
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 04, 2024
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Observation date: Jun 01, 2024
Submitted by: garyfreed
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 04, 2024
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Observation date: Jun 02, 2024
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 04, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_0675_10.jpg?itok=zjgcpYS8)
Observation date: Jul 08, 2022
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Botetourt County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 24, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 14, 2022
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 24, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 17, 2022
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_0053.png?itok=1Yo0vB5L)
Observation date: Jun 30, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 05, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
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Observation date: Jul 11, 2022
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
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Observation date: Jul 18, 2022
Submitted by: HCGregory
Region: Albemarle County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/ecc428dc-b42f-41b0-9bc1-98c0a3103f57.jpeg?itok=99kEsy0A)
Observation date: Aug 21, 2022
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
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Observation date: Oct 01, 2022
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
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Observation date: Nov 05, 2022
Submitted by: Chrysanthemum
Region: Albemarle County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_3485.jpeg?itok=b8NfAF-t)
Observation date: Aug 10, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_0344.png?itok=puA02lLM)
Observation date: Aug 01, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_0375.png?itok=ymj9Iymu)
Observation date: Aug 06, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_1294.jpeg?itok=K4ScWBRP)
Observation date: Aug 22, 2023
Submitted by: CarolMoth
Region: Fairfax County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_2442.jpeg?itok=Dd5UQ6L4)
Observation date: Sep 15, 2023
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20231107_115259.jpg?itok=BPQEY_5V)
Observation date: Nov 07, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Schena
Region: Virginia, Winchester, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
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