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 97 - 120 of 1766 verified sightings
Observation date: May 27, 2019
Submitted by: gunhilda
Region: Payne County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 29, 2019
Observation date: May 27, 2019
Submitted by: gunhilda
Region: Payne County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 29, 2019
Observation date: May 25, 2019
Submitted by: S. J. Stedman
Region: White County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: May 29, 2019
Observation date: May 26, 2019
Submitted by: TSims
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 28, 2019
Observation date: Jul 22, 2018
Submitted by: Dsincoff
Region: Athens County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Feb 25, 2019
Observation date: May 27, 2018
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 28, 2018
Observation date: May 23, 2016
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Newberry County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 28, 2018
Observation date: Aug 19, 2018
Submitted by: p_stritch
Region: Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 21, 2018
Observation date: Jul 07, 2018
Submitted by: Kzfisherman
Region: Kankakee County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 04, 2018
Observation date: Jul 20, 2018
Submitted by: purplechickadee
Region: Passaic County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Will Kerling
Verified date: Aug 20, 2018
Observation date: Jun 20, 2018
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 06, 2018
Observation date: Jun 08, 2018
Submitted by: Cameala
Region: Juniata County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 12, 2018
Observation date: Aug 19, 2017
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2
Verified date: Nov 14, 2017
Observation date: May 05, 2016
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Liberty County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 24, 2017
Observation date: Aug 20, 2017
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 27, 2017
Observation date: Sep 26, 2016
Submitted by: kking216
Region: Hall County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: kking216
Verified date: Aug 15, 2017
Observation date: Jul 07, 2017
Submitted by: wayne13114
Region: Oswego County, New York, United States
Verified by: wayne13114
Verified date: Aug 13, 2017
Observation date: Jul 22, 2017
Submitted by: tlwilson1103
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 27, 2017
Observation date: Jul 23, 2017
Submitted by: Joe Bartok
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 24, 2017
Observation date: Jul 09, 2017
Submitted by: cblazo
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 13, 2017
Observation date: May 20, 2017
Submitted by: gunhilda
Region: Payne County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 04, 2017
Observation date: Jul 05, 2014
Submitted by: treichard
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 25, 2017
Observation date: Aug 23, 2009
Submitted by: redfishin
Region: Nassau County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 11, 2017
Observation date: Sep 05, 2016
Submitted by: Doug Bruce
Region: Houston County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: S. J. Stedman
Verified date: Sep 07, 2016
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