Pahaska Skipper
Hesperia pahaska (Leussler, 1938)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside is yellow-orange with wide black borders. Male has yellow felt in the forewing stigma. Underside of hindwing is orange-brown with a short band of white spots.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 5/8 inches (3.2 - 4.2 cm).
Life History: To wait for receptive females, males perch on hilltops all day. Females deposit eggs singly on or near the host plants; caterpillars feed on leaves and take shelter in tied-together leaves. Caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: One brood from May-July in the north; two broods from April-October in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various grasses including blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) and fluff grass (Erioneuron pulchellum).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Short-grass prairie foothills, open pine forest, chaparral, desert grassland.
Range: Through the Rocky Mountain range from central Montana and northwest North Dakota south to central Mexico; west to southeast California. A stray to northwest Minnesota.
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 281 verified sightings

Observation date: May 22, 2023
Submitted by: Reneerob17
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 24, 2023

Observation date: May 14, 2023
Submitted by: Joshua C
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 16, 2023

Observation date: Apr 15, 2023
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: May 05, 2023

Observation date: Jul 13, 2022
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Mar 04, 2023

Observation date: Jul 14, 2022
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023

Observation date: Jun 17, 2022
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 30, 2022

Observation date: Oct 09, 2022
Submitted by: hgbyrne
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 23, 2022

Observation date: Aug 09, 2021
Submitted by: sandboa
Region: Dallam County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 23, 2022

Observation date: Aug 03, 2022
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 15, 2022

Observation date: Jul 07, 2022
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 10, 2022

Observation date: Jul 05, 2022
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 08, 2022

Observation date: Jul 02, 2022
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 06, 2022

Observation date: Jun 04, 2022
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 06, 2022

Observation date: May 26, 2022
Submitted by: Joshua C
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 26, 2022

Observation date: May 26, 2022
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 26, 2022

Observation date: Oct 02, 2021
Submitted by: Chrustay
Region: Grant County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 04, 2021

Observation date: May 28, 2019
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 22, 2021

Observation date: May 27, 2019
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 22, 2021

Observation date: May 23, 2019
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 22, 2021

Observation date: Sep 06, 2021
Submitted by: Joshua C
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 10, 2021

Observation date: Jul 10, 2021
Submitted by: Reneerob17
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 11, 2021

Observation date: Jun 29, 2020
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: Laramie County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 23, 2021

Observation date: Aug 20, 2020
Submitted by: SusanCrick
Region: Bent County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Nov 18, 2020

Observation date: May 15, 2020
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 02, 2020
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