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 217 - 240 of 1766 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 04, 2010
Submitted by: Pierre Howard
Region: Camden County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 26, 2012
Observation date: Jul 08, 2012
Submitted by: BeaLaporte
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 16, 2012
Observation date: Jul 13, 2012
Submitted by: Buckeye Bruce
Region: Franklin County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 14, 2012
Observation date: Jun 17, 2012
Submitted by: Kari
Region: Price County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jun 26, 2012
Observation date: Jun 03, 2012
Submitted by: Lois Stacey
Region: Georgia, Wilkes County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jun 08, 2012
Observation date: Jun 04, 2010
Submitted by: Pierre Howard
Region: Bartow County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jun 07, 2012
Observation date: May 29, 2012
Submitted by: Cheryl Jennings
Region: Morgan County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 30, 2012
Observation date: May 19, 2012
Submitted by: dspicer
Region: McMinn County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: stephen stedman
Verified date: May 21, 2012
Observation date: Jul 10, 2011
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (karen parker)
Region: Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jun 29, 2010
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Wendy Miller)
Region: Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 10, 1994
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard Hildreth)
Region: Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 08, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard Hildreth)
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 01, 1993
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard Hildreth)
Region: Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jun 21, 2005
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Alison Robb)
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 13, 2002
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Alison Robb)
Region: Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 23, 2005
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Erik Nielsen)
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 12, 2003
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (ZNC BLACKSTONE VALLEY)
Region: Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Aug 10, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Matthew Arey)
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jun 06, 2007
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Frank Model)
Region: Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 18, 2010
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Carl Kamp)
Region: Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 06, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Matt Pelikan)
Region: Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jun 29, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard Hildreth)
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 11, 1992
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Mark Mello )
Region: Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 07, 2001
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jackie Sones et al)
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
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