Golden Banded-Skipper
Autochton cellus (Boisduval & Leconte, [1837])
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Wings are dark brown-black. Forewing has a wide yellow band, and a small white patch near the apex. Underside is dark brown with 2-3 darker bands; hindwing margin may have gray overscales.
Wing Span: 1 3/8 - 2 inches (3.5 - 5.1 cm).
Life History: Adults are active in the late afternoon. To seek females, males perch in gullies on rocks or up to 6 feet above ground on vegetation. Females lay eggs in strings of 2-7 at the base of host plant leaflets. Caterpillars live in shelters of rolled or tied leaves and emerge at night to feed on leaves. Chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: Two broods; from May-August in the north, April-September in the south. One brood from June-September in southern Arizona.
Caterpillar Hosts: New Mexico locust (Robinia neomexicana) and hog peanut (Amphicarpa bracteata).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including trailing arbutus, blackberry, abelia, and hollyhock.
Habitat: Damp, wooded ravines with permanent water sources.
Range: In the west from central Arizona, southwest New Mexico, and west Texas south to central Mexico. In the east from Maryland south to South Carolina, west to eastern Oklahoma and northeast Texas. Isolated population in northern Florida.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 304 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 26, 2014
Submitted by: TallyCannon
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 29, 2014
Observation date: Apr 23, 2014
Submitted by: S. J. Stedman
Region: Bledsoe County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Apr 24, 2014
Observation date: Apr 15, 2011
Submitted by: dsjue
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 04, 2014
Observation date: Aug 03, 2013
Submitted by: bjones7777
Region: Colbert County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: vitaly charny
Verified date: Nov 15, 2013
Observation date: Jul 19, 2013
Submitted by: amdurso
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Sep 02, 2013
Observation date: Jul 23, 2013
Submitted by: Mama_Vamps
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jul 24, 2013
Observation date: Aug 08, 1990
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (B & L Padelford)
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jun 03, 2007
Submitted by: John Saba (John Saba)
Region: Graham County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Aug 09, 1990
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (B & L Padelford)
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Aug 08, 1990
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard P. Meyer)
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 07, 1997
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. Bordelon & E. Knudson)
Region: Graham County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Sep 09, 2012
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Sep 21, 2012
Observation date: Jul 26, 2012
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Marion County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: stephen stedman
Verified date: Jul 26, 2012
Observation date: Jul 08, 2012
Submitted by: Matt ODonnell
Region: Grant County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 13, 2012
Observation date: Aug 03, 2003
Submitted by: Dorothy Thurman
Region: Dallas County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Jun 30, 2012
Observation date: May 26, 2012
Submitted by: dspicer
Region: Bradley County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: stephen stedman
Verified date: May 29, 2012
Observation date: May 21, 2010
Submitted by: John van Dort
Region: Chalatenango, El Salvador
Verified by: John van Dort
Verified date: Apr 15, 2012
Observation date: Apr 07, 2012
Submitted by: bjones7777
Region: Decatur County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: stephen stedman
Verified date: Apr 10, 2012
Observation date: Jul 30, 2011
Submitted by: Doug Taron
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Apr 01, 2012
Observation date: Aug 07, 1975
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Floyd Preston)
Region: Graham County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Aug 11, 1975
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Clifford D. Ferris)
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 05, 1977
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Clifford D. Ferris)
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Aug 15, 1975
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Clifford D. Ferris)
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: May 28, 2011
Submitted by: AJ Trently
Region: Anderson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: stephen stedman
Verified date: Jun 16, 2011
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