Zabulon Skipper
Poanes zabulon (Boisduval & Leconte, [1837])
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Male black borders and no stigma. Underside of hindwing is mostly yellow with a dark brown wingbase and outer margin. Female: Upperside is purple-brown with pale yellow spots; underside of hindwing is brown and purple-gray with a white-edged costal margin.
Wing Span: 1 3/8 - 1 5/8 inches (3.5 - 4.2 cm).
Life History: Males perch in sunlit openings or edges on leaves about 3-5 feet above the ground. They appear to defend their territory and may keep a perch for up to a week. Courtship usually occurs in the afternoon. Females lay eggs singly under the host leaves. Caterpillars feed on leaves and make shelters of silk-tied leaves.
Flight: Two broods from May-September in the north; several broods all year in the tropical highlands.
Caterpillar Hosts: Grasses including lovegrass (Eragrostis), purpletop (Tridens), bluegrass (Poa), wheatgrass (Agropyron), orchardgrass (Dactylis), wildrye (Elymus), and bentgrass (Agrostis).
Adult Food: Nectar from a variety of flowers including the exotics Japanese honeysuckle, red clover, everlasting pea, and selfheal; and the natives blackberry, purple vetch, common milkweed, buttonbush, joe-pye weed, and thistles.
Habitat: Brushy openings near moist forests and streams.
Range: Massachusetts west through southern Michigan to central Kansas; south to central Florida, southern Louisiana, and northeast Texas. Strays to New Mexico, South Dakota, and southern Quebec. A separate population ranges from central Mexico south to Panama.
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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 2660 verified sightings
Observation date: May 01, 2025
Submitted by: actuallyamagpie
Region: Hamilton County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 22, 2025
Submitted by: cp2023
Region: Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 23, 2025
Observation date: Aug 21, 2025
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 21, 2025
Observation date: Jun 12, 2025
Submitted by: actuallyamagpie
Region: Hamilton County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 21, 2025
Observation date: Aug 17, 2025
Submitted by: Molly_P
Region: Charles County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 20, 2025
Observation date: Aug 17, 2025
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2025
Observation date: Aug 17, 2025
Submitted by: Doug DeNeve
Region: Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 19, 2025
Observation date: Aug 14, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 18, 2025
Observation date: Aug 02, 2025
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 16, 2025
Observation date: Jul 19, 2025
Submitted by: actuallyamagpie
Region: Clermont County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 10, 2025
Observation date: Jul 30, 2025
Submitted by: TLE613
Region: Woodford County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 02, 2025
Observation date: Aug 10, 2021
Submitted by: acb22
Region: Sangamon County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 26, 2025
Observation date: Jul 30, 2022
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Orange County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 15, 2025
Observation date: May 18, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 15, 2025
Observation date: May 17, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 15, 2025
Observation date: Aug 04, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 15, 2025
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 15, 2025
Observation date: Aug 18, 2023
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 15, 2025
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 15, 2025
Observation date: Sep 07, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 15, 2025
Observation date: Sep 06, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Union County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 15, 2025
Observation date: Aug 03, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Union County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 15, 2025
Observation date: Aug 03, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Union County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 15, 2025
Observation date: Aug 18, 2021
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Union County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 15, 2025
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