Dotted Skipper
Hesperia attalus (W.H. Edwards, 1871)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Variable and rarely seen. Forewing is pointed, particularly in the male. Male: Upperside is dull brownish orange with wide dark borders; stigma on forewing has black felt. Female: Upperside is dark brown with pale spots; underside is green-brown to dull orange with or without small pale spots.
Wing Span: 1 3/8 - 1 5/8 inches (3.5 - 4.2 cm).
Life History: Males perch to watch for receptive females. Eggs are deposited on or near the host. Caterpillars feed on grass leaves and live in silken tubes at the base of grass clumps. They overwinter in shelters that are partially buried.
Flight: Two broods from May-September with a longer flight period in Florida.
Caterpillar Hosts: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and fall witchgrass (Leptoloma cognatum).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of prickly pear cactus, alfalfa, thistles, and purple coneflower.
Habitat: Short-grass prairies, pine barrens, and woodland meadows.
Range: Atlantic seaboard from eastern Massachusetts (rarely) south to peninsular Florida and the Gulf Coast. A separate population occurs from central Kansas south to east-central Texas. Strays to eastern Nebraska.
Conservation: Populations should be conserved wherever they are found.
NCGR: G3 - Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range (21 to 100 occurrences). (Threatened throughout its range).
Management Needs: Care should be taken not to eliminate populations by overuse of fire on small preserves.
Comments: NULL
Pollinator Week was June 20-26, 2022!
Butterflies and moths are accidental pollinators of many flowering plants. While most species do not have special structures to carry pollen, they do brush against pollen and transfer it to other flowers.
Did you know? The Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas) flies close to the ground and uses its short proboscis to probe flowers of wild strawberry, white sweet clover, and other low-lying plants.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 128 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 23, 2007
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Bill Berthet)
Region: Clay County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Bill Berthet)
Verified date: Aug 07, 2009
Observation date: Sep 23, 2007
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Bill Berthet)
Region: Clay County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Bill Berthet)
Verified date: Aug 07, 2009
Observation date: Sep 02, 2007
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Bill Berthet)
Region: Clay County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Bill Berthet)
Verified date: Aug 07, 2009
Observation date: Aug 24, 2008
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Bill Berthet)
Region: Clay County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Bill Berthet)
Verified date: Aug 07, 2009
Observation date: Sep 02, 2007
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Bill Berthet)
Region: Clay County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Bill Berthet)
Verified date: Aug 07, 2009
Observation date: Sep 02, 2007
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Bill Berthet)
Region: Clay County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Bill Berthet)
Verified date: Aug 07, 2009
Observation date: May 20, 2004
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Nelson, John M.)
Region: Jackson County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Nelson, John M.)
Verified date: Apr 03, 2009
Observation date: Jun 07, 2005
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Fisher, John)
Region: Comanche County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Nelson, John M.)
Verified date: Apr 03, 2009
Observation date: May 30, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Nelson, John M. & Fisher, John)
Region: Major County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Nelson, John M.)
Verified date: Apr 03, 2009
Observation date: Jun 01, 2004
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Nelson, John M. & Edwards, David & Fisher, John)
Region: Ellis County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Nelson, John M.)
Verified date: Apr 03, 2009
Observation date: Aug 29, 2005
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Smith, Bill & Janet)
Region: Alfalfa County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Nelson, John M.)
Verified date: Apr 03, 2009
Observation date: Sep 13, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Fisher, John)
Region: Osage County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Nelson, John M.)
Verified date: Apr 03, 2009
Observation date: Sep 24, 2005
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Brian G. Scholtens)
Region: Chesterfield County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jul 25, 2008
Observation date: Jul 21, 2007
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Linda & Buck Cooper)
Region: Osceola County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (J. Calhoun)
Verified date: Aug 30, 2007
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: St. Clair County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig (Phillip Koenig)
Verified date: Mar 12, 2007
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Marion County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Noble County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: St. Johns County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Decatur County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Texas, Palo Pinto County, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Elk County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Alachua County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Pearl River County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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