Nevada Skipper
Hesperia nevada (Scudder, 1874)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Antennae Upperside is reddish orange with diffuse dark borders and some large pale spots. Male forewing has black felt inside the stigma. Underside of the hindwing of both sexes is golden-green to gray-green with an irregular band of white spots; the basal spot may be offset inward.
Wing Span: 1 1/8 - 1 7/16 inches (2.9 - 3.7 cm).
Life History: To await receptive females, males perch on tops of hills or on logs or rocks in flat meadows. Females lay eggs singly on or near the host plant. Caterpillars live in silken tubes at the base of grass clumps and feed on grass leaves nearby. They overwinter in partially-buried shelters.
Flight: One brood from late May to early August, the timing depending on elevation and latitude.
Caterpillar Hosts: Western needlegrass (Stipa occidentalis) and perhaps squirrel-tail grass (Sitanion hystrix).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Sagebrush, grasslands, aspen parks, mountain summits; from 7000 - 12,000 feet in elevation.
Range: Southern British Columbia east across the prairie provinces to southern Manitoba; south in the western mountains to California, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico.
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 1 - 24 of 237 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 07, 2014
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Washoe County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 02, 2025
Observation date: Jul 04, 2024
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 08, 2024
Observation date: Jul 02, 2024
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 08, 2024
Observation date: Jul 02, 2024
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 08, 2024
Observation date: Jul 04, 2024
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 08, 2024
Observation date: Jul 02, 2024
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 08, 2024
Observation date: Jun 28, 2024
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 01, 2024
Observation date: Jun 12, 2024
Submitted by: Reneerob17
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 15, 2024
Observation date: Jun 17, 2023
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 03, 2023
Observation date: Jun 14, 2023
Submitted by: MJKrotzer
Region: Apache County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jul 20, 2023
Observation date: Jun 25, 2023
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 10, 2023
Observation date: Jul 17, 2022
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Mar 04, 2023
Observation date: Jun 30, 2022
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 04, 2022
Observation date: Jun 13, 2021
Submitted by: tjay13
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 11, 2021
Observation date: Jul 31, 2021
Submitted by: bjones7777
Region: Park County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 08, 2021
Observation date: Jun 10, 2021
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 29, 2021
Observation date: Jun 09, 2021
Submitted by: topper72
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 15, 2021
Observation date: May 27, 2020
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 03, 2020
Observation date: Jun 11, 2020
Submitted by: dbrudin
Region: Teller County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 02, 2020
Observation date: Jul 13, 2020
Submitted by: ASchmierer
Region: Apache County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Aug 20, 2020
Observation date: Jul 12, 2020
Submitted by: SuryaSmiles
Region: Lemhi County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 22, 2020
Observation date: Jul 16, 2019
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Lake County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: May 30, 2020
Observation date: Jun 02, 2002
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 07, 2020
Observation date: Jun 02, 2000
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 07, 2020
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