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 49 - 72 of 4116 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Jul 23, 2023
Submitted by: Tuesday
Region: Asotin County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Sep 12, 2023
Observation date: Sep 10, 2023
Submitted by: RichHubie
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 11, 2023
Observation date: Sep 09, 2023
Submitted by: ships333
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 11, 2023
Observation date: Sep 02, 2023
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 10, 2023
Observation date: Aug 31, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 10, 2023
Observation date: Aug 28, 2023
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 10, 2023
Observation date: Sep 04, 2023
Submitted by: Dave Webb
Region: Harford County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 09, 2023
Observation date: Sep 06, 2023
Submitted by: ELFredrickson
Region: Madison County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 06, 2023
Observation date: Aug 31, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 06, 2023
Observation date: Sep 03, 2023
Submitted by: MaryBell
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 06, 2023
Observation date: Sep 03, 2023
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 06, 2023
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: chherrmann
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 05, 2023
Observation date: Sep 02, 2023
Submitted by: marlegal
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 04, 2023
Observation date: Sep 02, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 02, 2023
Observation date: Aug 28, 2023
Submitted by: Mom2ss
Region: Campbell County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 01, 2023
Observation date: Aug 29, 2023
Submitted by: ELFredrickson
Region: Madison County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
Observation date: Aug 24, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
Observation date: Aug 26, 2023
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 27, 2023
Observation date: Aug 22, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 24, 2023
Observation date: Oct 01, 2020
Submitted by: gerryanimator
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 23, 2023
Observation date: Aug 15, 2023
Submitted by: Martin Neil UK
Region: Maury County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 19, 2023
Observation date: Aug 17, 2023
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Dare County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 18, 2023
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