Crossline Skipper
Polites origenes (Fabricius, 1793)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside is dark brown with orange markings. Female usually lacks orange along the forewing costa and has a square spot below the end of the cell; male has a long, straight forewing stigma. Underside of hindwing is orange-brown with a faint band of spots.
Wing Span: 1 1/8 - 1 1/2 inches (2.9 - 3.8 cm).
Life History: Males perch in open grassy areas most of the day to await receptive females. Courtship occurs from midday to mid-afternoon. Third- and fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: One brood from June-August in the north, two broods from May-September in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: Purpletop (Tridens flavus), little bluestem (Andropogon scoparius), and other grasses.
Adult Food: White, pink, or purple flowers are preferred including purple vetch, red clover, selfheal, dogbane, shrub houstonia, New Jersey tea, and New York ironweed.
Habitat: Open grassy areas including prairies hills, barrens, power line cuts, old fields, forest openings.
Range: Western North Dakota east across central Minnesota, southern Ontario, and southern Quebec to central Maine; south to northeast Texas, the Gulf Coast, and northern Florida. A separate population (P. o. rhena) occurs along the Rocky Mountains from northern Colorado to northeastern New Mexico.
Conservation: Populations of subspecies rhena, found in patches of all tall-grass prairies, should be conserved wherever found.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 145 - 168 of 1766 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 06, 2015
Submitted by: Doug Bruce
Region: Houston County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: S. J. Stedman
Verified date: Sep 12, 2015
Observation date: Aug 20, 2015
Submitted by: cblazo
Region: Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 25, 2015
Observation date: Aug 16, 2015
Submitted by: Doug Bruce
Region: Overton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: S. J. Stedman
Verified date: Aug 17, 2015
Observation date: Aug 11, 2015
Submitted by: cblazo
Region: Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 12, 2015
Observation date: Aug 08, 2015
Submitted by: TSims
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 11, 2015
Observation date: Aug 08, 2015
Submitted by: gunhilda
Region: Payne County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 10, 2015
Observation date: Aug 10, 2015
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 10, 2015
Observation date: Aug 02, 2015
Submitted by: cblazo
Region: Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 07, 2015
Observation date: Jul 30, 2015
Submitted by: beastbreath
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 02, 2015
Observation date: Aug 02, 2015
Submitted by: S. J. Stedman
Region: Trousdale County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Aug 02, 2015
Observation date: Jul 25, 2015
Submitted by: S. J. Stedman
Region: Marshall County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Jul 27, 2015
Observation date: Jun 09, 2015
Submitted by: cblazo
Region: Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 10, 2015
Observation date: Jun 05, 2015
Submitted by: cblazo
Region: Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 06, 2015
Observation date: Jun 05, 2015
Submitted by: cblazo
Region: Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 06, 2015
Observation date: May 31, 2015
Submitted by: cblazo
Region: Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 01, 2015
Observation date: May 18, 2015
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 18, 2015
Observation date: Aug 19, 2011
Submitted by: strixv
Region: Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: richardhsmith
Verified date: Jan 09, 2015
Observation date: Sep 14, 2014
Submitted by: tjrickert
Region: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 21, 2014
Observation date: Sep 05, 2014
Submitted by: Doug Bruce
Region: Lewis County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: S. J. Stedman
Verified date: Sep 14, 2014
Observation date: Aug 25, 2014
Submitted by: TSims
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 26, 2014
Observation date: Aug 18, 2014
Submitted by: lumpydave84
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 18, 2014
Observation date: Aug 17, 2014
Submitted by: Doug Bruce
Region: Roane County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: S. J. Stedman
Verified date: Aug 17, 2014
Observation date: Aug 04, 2014
Submitted by: brdwtchr
Region: Texas County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Aug 06, 2014
Observation date: Aug 02, 2014
Submitted by: hmclin
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 04, 2014
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