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.
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 553 - 576 of 2723 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Aug 06, 2020
Submitted by: sbcsmith-rickboeth
Region: Grundy County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Aug 22, 2020
Observation date: Jun 07, 2020
Submitted by: sbcsmith-rickboeth
Region: Grundy County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Aug 22, 2020
Observation date: Jun 05, 2020
Submitted by: sbcsmith-rickboeth
Region: Grundy County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Aug 22, 2020
Observation date: May 29, 2020
Submitted by: sbcsmith-rickboeth
Region: Grundy County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Aug 22, 2020
Observation date: Aug 21, 2020
Submitted by: rdcpics
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 22, 2020
Observation date: Aug 18, 2020
Submitted by: crandal
Region: Medina County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 21, 2020
Observation date: Aug 06, 2020
Submitted by: CuesButterflyCa...
Region: Montgomery County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 20, 2020
Observation date: Aug 19, 2020
Submitted by: Ohio97
Region: Montgomery County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 20, 2020
Observation date: Aug 19, 2020
Submitted by: NNing
Region: Geauga County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 20, 2020
Observation date: Jul 01, 2020
Submitted by: kristenej
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 20, 2020
Observation date: Aug 08, 2020
Submitted by: Elisabeth Curtis
Region: Orange County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 19, 2020
Observation date: Aug 17, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 19, 2020
Observation date: Aug 17, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 19, 2020
Observation date: Aug 12, 2020
Submitted by: kzmmrmn
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 17, 2020
Observation date: Aug 11, 2020
Submitted by: pkondrashov
Region: Adair County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 16, 2020
Observation date: Jul 31, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Lenawee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 16, 2020
Observation date: Aug 06, 2020
Submitted by: kzmmrmn
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 16, 2020
Observation date: Aug 05, 2020
Submitted by: kzmmrmn
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 16, 2020
Observation date: Jun 04, 2020
Submitted by: kristenej
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 15, 2020
Observation date: Jun 11, 2020
Submitted by: kristenej
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 15, 2020
Observation date: Aug 14, 2020
Submitted by: Normsbam1
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 15, 2020
Observation date: Aug 12, 2020
Submitted by: Mark Plessner
Region: Lucas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 13, 2020
Observation date: Jul 27, 2020
Submitted by: Jess D
Region: Paulding County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 13, 2020
- ‹ previous
- 24 of 114
- next ›