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 529 - 552 of 2722 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 20, 2015
Submitted by: Carol Thornton-...
Region: Orange County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 29, 2014
Submitted by: Carol Thornton-...
Region: Orange County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 23, 2020
Submitted by: lwescott
Region: Brown County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 02, 2020
Observation date: Aug 11, 2020
Submitted by: tnjbodker
Region: Anderson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Nov 28, 2020
Observation date: Sep 23, 2020
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Liberty County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 24, 2020
Observation date: Sep 10, 2020
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Nassau County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 13, 2020
Observation date: Jun 01, 2020
Submitted by: Saxtonine
Region: Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 13, 2020
Observation date: Sep 03, 2020
Submitted by: yardbird
Region: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 10, 2020
Observation date: Sep 07, 2020
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 07, 2020
Observation date: Sep 07, 2020
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 07, 2020
Observation date: Sep 07, 2020
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 07, 2020
Observation date: Sep 07, 2020
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Union County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 07, 2020
Observation date: Sep 05, 2020
Submitted by: grosenberry
Region: Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 07, 2020
Observation date: Sep 03, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Lenawee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 04, 2020
Observation date: Sep 03, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Jackson County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 04, 2020
Observation date: Aug 25, 2020
Submitted by: kzmmrmn
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 01, 2020
Observation date: Aug 25, 2020
Submitted by: kzmmrmn
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 01, 2020
Observation date: Aug 13, 2020
Submitted by: HansPG
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 31, 2020
Observation date: Aug 18, 2020
Submitted by: Bzbamona
Region: Hamilton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Aug 30, 2020
Observation date: Aug 25, 2020
Submitted by: Bzbamona
Region: Hamilton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Aug 30, 2020
Observation date: Aug 26, 2020
Submitted by: Tony DeSantis
Region: Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 28, 2020
Observation date: Aug 22, 2020
Submitted by: pabirdermoore
Region: Clarion County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 23, 2020
Observation date: Aug 21, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Calhoun County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 22, 2020
Observation date: Aug 16, 2020
Submitted by: Made in the sha...
Region: Marshall County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Aug 22, 2020
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