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 601 - 624 of 2723 verified sightings
Observation date: May 30, 2020
Submitted by: Jupiterz7
Region: Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 29, 2020
Observation date: Jun 27, 2020
Submitted by: ezettler
Region: Alachua County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 27, 2020
Observation date: Jun 21, 2020
Submitted by: cobal2913
Region: Coshocton County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 21, 2020
Observation date: May 16, 2020
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: Boone County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 21, 2020
Observation date: Jun 18, 2020
Submitted by: HansPG
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 19, 2020
Observation date: Jun 13, 2020
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Carter County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Jun 18, 2020
Observation date: Jun 10, 2020
Submitted by: MSEmbeck
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 13, 2020
Observation date: Jun 06, 2020
Submitted by: sam_hartzler
Region: Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Jun 09, 2020
Observation date: Jun 02, 2020
Submitted by: DNADEB
Region: Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 09, 2020
Observation date: Jun 07, 2020
Submitted by: Eddie Wyatt
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 09, 2020
Observation date: Jun 06, 2020
Submitted by: OhioHick
Region: Medina County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 07, 2020
Observation date: Jun 03, 2020
Submitted by: webielenberg
Region: Blount County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Jun 04, 2020
Observation date: Jun 01, 2020
Submitted by: ydlrun
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 02, 2020
Observation date: May 30, 2020
Submitted by: Pamela D. Fisher
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 31, 2020
Observation date: May 03, 2020
Submitted by: Jay Brasher
Region: Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: May 26, 2020
Observation date: May 14, 2020
Submitted by: Jay Brasher
Region: Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: May 26, 2020
Observation date: May 17, 2020
Submitted by: schaarschmidt
Region: Marion County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: May 26, 2020
Observation date: Apr 18, 2020
Submitted by: Stephen G.
Region: Washington County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: Stephen G.
Verified date: May 24, 2020
Observation date: May 17, 2020
Submitted by: MarkandSue
Region: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 18, 2020
Observation date: Aug 16, 2015
Submitted by: Bkgs66
Region: Morrow County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 17, 2020
Observation date: May 06, 2020
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 07, 2020
Observation date: Apr 25, 2020
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: May 03, 2020
Observation date: Apr 27, 2020
Submitted by: Jean Fontaine
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 30, 2020
Observation date: Apr 27, 2020
Submitted by: Jean Fontaine
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 30, 2020
- ‹ previous
- 26 of 114
- next ›