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 265 - 288 of 2718 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 19, 2022
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2022
Observation date: Aug 19, 2022
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2022
Observation date: Aug 18, 2022
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2022
Observation date: Aug 18, 2022
Submitted by: Mendrola
Region: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 13, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 13, 2022
Submitted by: Jake a Bob
Region: Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 15, 2022
Submitted by: davek
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 13, 2022
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 17, 2022
Submitted by: joep01
Region: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 16, 2022
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Lake County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 16, 2022
Observation date: Aug 16, 2022
Submitted by: KSkrehot
Region: Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 16, 2022
Observation date: Aug 07, 2022
Submitted by: bnmccully
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 15, 2022
Observation date: Aug 12, 2022
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Aug 14, 2022
Observation date: Aug 14, 2022
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Aug 14, 2022
Observation date: Aug 19, 2016
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Burke County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 13, 2022
Observation date: Aug 12, 2022
Submitted by: lumpydave84
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 12, 2022
Observation date: Aug 12, 2022
Submitted by: nyasner
Region: New York County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 12, 2022
Observation date: Aug 09, 2022
Submitted by: Don Marotte
Region: Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 10, 2022
Observation date: Aug 08, 2022
Submitted by: nyasner
Region: New York County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 09, 2022
Observation date: Aug 07, 2022
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 08, 2022
Observation date: Aug 02, 2022
Submitted by: HCGregory
Region: Albemarle County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Aug 07, 2022
Observation date: Aug 06, 2022
Submitted by: TJ in Derry
Region: Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 06, 2022
Observation date: Jun 04, 2021
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Bedford County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Aug 06, 2022
Observation date: Aug 26, 2021
Submitted by: Mendrola
Region: Alleghany County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Aug 06, 2022
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