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 97 - 120 of 1183 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 18, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 18, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 14, 2021
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 16, 2021
Observation date: Jul 09, 2021
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Gratiot County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 16, 2021
Observation date: Jul 06, 2021
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 16, 2021
Observation date: Jul 10, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 11, 2021
Observation date: Jul 10, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 11, 2021
Observation date: Jun 30, 2021
Submitted by: Tom Raub
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 01, 2021
Observation date: Jul 19, 2020
Submitted by: Tom Raub
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 20, 2021
Observation date: May 11, 2021
Submitted by: NaturallyWade
Region: Richmond County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: May 14, 2021
Observation date: Aug 03, 2020
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Apr 11, 2021
Observation date: Aug 11, 2019
Submitted by: cyric
Region: Kent County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: Harry Pavulaan
Verified date: Mar 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 03, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Mar 04, 2021
Observation date: Jul 19, 2017
Submitted by: Wade Wander
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Jack Connor
Verified date: Feb 16, 2021
Observation date: Aug 28, 2017
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 10, 2021
Observation date: Sep 10, 2017
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Accomack County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 10, 2021
Observation date: Oct 15, 2018
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 09, 2021
Observation date: Jun 07, 2015
Submitted by: KristyBaker
Region: Dare County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 10, 2020
Observation date: Jun 06, 2015
Submitted by: KristyBaker
Region: Tyrrell County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 10, 2020
Observation date: Jul 27, 2017
Submitted by: NCARI
Region: Dare County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 08, 2020
Observation date: Jul 28, 2020
Submitted by: tirvine2020
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: PDeGennaro
Verified date: Nov 30, 2020
Observation date: Sep 20, 2020
Submitted by: bjones7777
Region: Shelby County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Nov 28, 2020
Observation date: Sep 04, 2020
Submitted by: J. Trapnell
Region: Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Nov 28, 2020
Observation date: Aug 03, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Nov 18, 2020
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