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 577 - 600 of 2723 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 05, 2020
Submitted by: mmeshaka
Region: Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 13, 2020
Observation date: Aug 05, 2020
Submitted by: mmeshaka
Region: Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 13, 2020
Observation date: Aug 05, 2020
Submitted by: mmeshaka
Region: Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 13, 2020
Observation date: Aug 11, 2020
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 12, 2020
Observation date: Aug 09, 2020
Submitted by: pkondrashov
Region: Adair County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 10, 2020
Observation date: Aug 09, 2020
Submitted by: Eddie Wyatt
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 10, 2020
Observation date: Jun 28, 2020
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Hempstead County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 09, 2020
Observation date: Aug 06, 2020
Submitted by: EMB
Region: Franklin County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 07, 2020
Observation date: Aug 07, 2020
Submitted by: hwoodson619
Region: Clark County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 07, 2020
Observation date: Aug 04, 2020
Submitted by: crandal
Region: Medina County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 06, 2020
Observation date: Aug 02, 2020
Submitted by: djarrow
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 06, 2020
Observation date: Aug 03, 2020
Submitted by: dmccord
Region: Hamilton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Aug 06, 2020
Observation date: Aug 05, 2020
Submitted by: Dallasyork97
Region: Georgia, Walker County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 06, 2020
Observation date: Jul 30, 2020
Submitted by: djarrow
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 06, 2020
Observation date: Aug 03, 2020
Submitted by: mitzis
Region: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 01, 2020
Submitted by: Eddie Wyatt
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 01, 2020
Observation date: Jul 28, 2020
Submitted by: EMB
Region: Franklin County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 28, 2020
Observation date: Jul 25, 2020
Submitted by: xiaomeip6
Region: Kings County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 27, 2020
Observation date: Jul 25, 2020
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 26, 2020
Observation date: Jul 06, 2020
Submitted by: crandal
Region: Medina County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 14, 2020
Observation date: Jun 16, 2020
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 06, 2020
Observation date: Jun 13, 2020
Submitted by: schaarschmidt
Region: Carter County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Jul 04, 2020
Observation date: Jun 15, 2020
Submitted by: Marsrover
Region: Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 02, 2020
Observation date: Jun 27, 2020
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Howard County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 30, 2020
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