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 25 - 48 of 4114 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 05, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 14, 2023
Observation date: Oct 13, 2023
Submitted by: cklindsey
Region: Walla Walla County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Oct 14, 2023
Observation date: Oct 13, 2023
Submitted by: cklindsey
Region: Walla Walla County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Oct 14, 2023
Observation date: Oct 13, 2023
Submitted by: cklindsey
Region: Walla Walla County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Oct 14, 2023
Observation date: Oct 07, 2023
Submitted by: rajanrao
Region: Calaveras County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 14, 2023
Observation date: Oct 10, 2023
Submitted by: Kifallang
Region: Preble County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 14, 2023
Observation date: Oct 05, 2023
Submitted by: sarabseth
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 06, 2023
Observation date: Sep 10, 2023
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 06, 2023
Observation date: Oct 01, 2023
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 05, 2023
Observation date: Oct 04, 2023
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 04, 2023
Observation date: Oct 02, 2023
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 04, 2023
Observation date: Oct 03, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Oct 03, 2023
Observation date: Sep 09, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 25, 2023
Observation date: Sep 20, 2023
Submitted by: ydlrun
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 23, 2023
Observation date: Sep 21, 2023
Submitted by: xBISsped6
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 22, 2023
Observation date: Sep 20, 2023
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 22, 2023
Observation date: Sep 19, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 22, 2023
Observation date: Sep 19, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 22, 2023
Observation date: Sep 15, 2023
Submitted by: Allison Barta
Region: Cass County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 19, 2023
Observation date: Sep 12, 2023
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Lancaster County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Sep 18, 2023
Observation date: Jul 10, 2022
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Benton County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 17, 2023
Observation date: Sep 15, 2023
Submitted by: Jorie
Region: Fayette County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 17, 2023
Observation date: Sep 13, 2023
Submitted by: Ideckman
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 15, 2023
Observation date: Sep 09, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 13, 2023
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