Western Branded Skipper
Hesperia colorado (Scudder, 1874)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Extremely variable; many geographical forms with differing appearances. Adults (especially males) have relatively pointed forewing tips and more warm orange on the upperside. Band on hindwing underside may be complete, made of small or large spots, faint, or absent.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 3/8 inches (2.2- 3.8 cm).
Life History: To await receptive females, males perch near the host plant or on tops of hills. Females scatter eggs on or near the host; caterpillars eat leaves and live in nests of tied leaves. Eggs overwinter.
Flight: One brood from mid-July (as early as May in California) to late September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various grasses including fescue (Festuca), brome (Bromus), bluegrass (Poa), needlegrass (Stipa), and beardgrass (Andropogon); sedges.
Adult Food: Nectar from many flowers including asters, goldenrods, and blazing star.
Habitat: Sunny open areas including forest openings and edges, meadows, fields, roadsides, trails, grassy slopes, and the alpine.
Range: From Washington and Wyoming south to Baja California Norte, southeastern Arizona, and western Nebraska.
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.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 743 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 30, 2019
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sierra County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 15, 2019
Observation date: Jul 21, 2018
Submitted by: Scott Burgess
Region: Humboldt County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 29, 2019
Observation date: Jul 14, 2018
Submitted by: Scott Burgess
Region: Humboldt County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 28, 2019
Observation date: Jun 19, 2012
Submitted by: coreyk
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 31, 2019
Observation date: Jun 19, 2012
Submitted by: coreyk
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 28, 2019
Observation date: Aug 04, 2018
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Apache County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Feb 24, 2019
Observation date: Sep 09, 2018
Submitted by: A_baldini
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Dec 30, 2018
Observation date: Sep 21, 2018
Submitted by: PKD
Region: Montezuma County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Dec 13, 2018
Observation date: Aug 04, 2018
Submitted by: sgguthart
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Dec 13, 2018
Observation date: Sep 04, 2018
Submitted by: egray4018
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Dec 02, 2018
Observation date: Jul 14, 2018
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Aug 03, 2018
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Apache County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Nov 03, 2018
Observation date: Aug 03, 2006
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Park County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Oct 25, 2018
Observation date: Sep 08, 2018
Submitted by: dharlette
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 01, 2018
Observation date: Sep 01, 2018
Submitted by: jetboulder@aol.com
Region: Goshen County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 11, 2018
Observation date: Aug 04, 2017
Submitted by: randimal
Region: Wasco County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 19, 2018
Observation date: Jul 15, 2018
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Moffat County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Aug 13, 2018
Observation date: Aug 31, 2017
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 13, 2018
Observation date: Jul 02, 2018
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 13, 2018
Observation date: Jun 14, 2018
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 28, 2018
Observation date: Jun 03, 2018
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 05, 2018
Observation date: Jun 03, 2018
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 05, 2018
Observation date: Jul 20, 2017
Submitted by: wallap74
Region: Ouray County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Dec 28, 2017
Observation date: Jul 19, 2017
Submitted by: wallap74
Region: San Juan County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Dec 28, 2017
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