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 169 - 192 of 1766 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 03, 2014
Submitted by: Carol Thornton-...
Region: Orange County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 03, 2014
Observation date: Jul 22, 2014
Submitted by: Carmel Mothersill
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 24, 2014
Observation date: Jul 18, 2014
Submitted by: juliereid
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 18, 2014
Observation date: May 26, 2014
Submitted by: grayhairstreak
Region: New Castle County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: richardhsmith
Verified date: Jul 09, 2014
Observation date: Jul 01, 2014
Submitted by: Beverly Carter
Region: Baxter County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 08, 2014
Observation date: Jun 30, 2014
Submitted by: Beverly Carter
Region: Baxter County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 06, 2014
Observation date: Jun 07, 2014
Submitted by: rseidler
Region: Howard County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 05, 2014
Observation date: Jun 30, 2014
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 01, 2014
Observation date: Jun 16, 2014
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 16, 2014
Observation date: Jul 27, 2013
Submitted by: AngelaCoco
Region: Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Apr 12, 2014
Observation date: Jun 28, 2012
Submitted by: Rick Henle
Region: Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Feb 05, 2014
Observation date: Jul 29, 2012
Submitted by: BAMONA
Region: Northampton County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: BAMONA (Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory)
Verified date: Feb 04, 2014
Observation date: Jun 14, 2013
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 04, 2014
Observation date: Sep 15, 2013
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Adair County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 24, 2013
Observation date: Jul 22, 2013
Submitted by: Brian Taber
Region: James City County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: richardhsmith
Verified date: Nov 14, 2013
Observation date: Aug 13, 2013
Submitted by: HHowell
Region: Grainger County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 17, 2013
Observation date: Sep 14, 2013
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 10, 2013
Observation date: Sep 15, 2013
Submitted by: Doug Bruce
Region: Greene County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: stephen stedman
Verified date: Sep 23, 2013
Observation date: Sep 05, 2013
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 20, 2013
Observation date: Aug 06, 2013
Submitted by: Colleen62
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 15, 2013
Observation date: Sep 13, 2013
Submitted by: treichard
Region: Prince Georges County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: richardhsmith
Verified date: Sep 14, 2013
Observation date: Sep 02, 2013
Submitted by: Melinda Fawver
Region: Morgan County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: stephen stedman
Verified date: Sep 13, 2013
Observation date: Aug 20, 2013
Submitted by: Jeff Brown
Region: Montgomery County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 11, 2013
Observation date: Sep 03, 2013
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: richardhsmith
Verified date: Sep 09, 2013
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