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Broad-winged Skipper
Poanes viator (W.H. Edwards, 1865)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Forewings are rounded. Upperside of forewing is dark brown with a small yellow-orange area and small cream spots. Hindwing is mostly orange with a black border and black veins. Underside of hindwing is orange-brown with a yellow-orange streak running from the wingbase and a median band of squarish yellow-orange spots.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 2 1/4 inches (3.2 - 5.7 cm).
Life History: Males patrol through reeds or other host plant habitat with a slow, jerky flight to find females. Females lay eggs singly under the host plant leaves, which are eaten by the caterpillars. Caterpillars rest between a leaf and a stem, strengthening the area with silk before they molt.
Flight: One brood from late June to early August inland; two broods from July-August along the mid-Atlantic Coast; several broods from May-August in Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Inland populations feed on hairy sedge (Carex lacustris); coastal populations feed on reed (Phragmites communis), wild rice (Zizania aquatica), and marsh millet (Zizaniopsis miliacea).
Adult Food: Inland populations sip nectar from swamp milkweed, purple loosestrife, and blue vervain. Coastal populations use nectar from dogbane, swamp milkweed, pickerelweed, thistles, salt marsh fleabane, and others.
Habitat: Freshwater and saltwater marshes.
Range: Inland populations range from the eastern Dakotas east to south Quebec and central New York. Coastal populations occur from Massachusetts south to northern Florida and west along the Gulf Coast to central Texas.
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
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 1161 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn2971_0.jpg?itok=0Aj0bpp_)
Observation date: Jul 24, 2024
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 25, 2024
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Observation date: Jul 17, 2024
Submitted by: jwilkinson
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 19, 2024
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Observation date: Jul 14, 2024
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 16, 2024
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Observation date: Jul 14, 2024
Submitted by: Elfin
Region: Sussex County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 14, 2024
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Observation date: Jul 13, 2024
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 13, 2024
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Observation date: Jul 09, 2024
Submitted by: Cirsine
Region: Erie County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 11, 2024
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Observation date: Jun 29, 2024
Submitted by: Bluefox122
Region: Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 01, 2024
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Observation date: Jun 21, 2024
Submitted by: Elfin
Region: Sussex County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 21, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/broad-winged_skipper_poanes_viator_inat_phinizy_043016.jpg?itok=fghMCIgg)
Observation date: Apr 30, 2016
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Richmond County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jun 09, 2024
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Observation date: May 22, 2016
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Richmond County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jun 09, 2024
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Observation date: Jul 09, 2022
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Richmond County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jun 09, 2024
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Observation date: Jun 01, 2017
Submitted by: KenL
Region: Virginia, Williamsburg, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
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Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: James City County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
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Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: James City County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
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Observation date: Jul 01, 2022
Submitted by: terrymortier
Region: Burnett County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 24, 2024
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Observation date: Jul 23, 2021
Submitted by: terrymortier
Region: Burnett County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 11, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 05, 2023
Submitted by: Bob Bouman
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Mar 06, 2024
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Observation date: Jul 24, 2023
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Feb 16, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/broad_winged_skipper_4.jpg?itok=tuxPcMvB)
Observation date: Jul 24, 2023
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Feb 16, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20230809_poanes_viator_-_3300_state_line_slag_prairie_hammond_in_1.jpg?itok=U123tDTn)
Observation date: Aug 09, 2023
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 24, 2023
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Observation date: Aug 15, 2023
Submitted by: hclancy
Region: Bronx County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 16, 2023
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Observation date: Aug 01, 2023
Submitted by: tjunderwood
Region: Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/broad-winged_skipper_1_1.jpg?itok=HZI0u0O_)
Observation date: Aug 05, 2023
Submitted by: schaarschmidt
Region: Marion County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
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Observation date: Aug 02, 2023
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
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