Peck's Skipper
Polites peckius (W. Kirby, 1837)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside of male is brown with reddish-orange patches; forewing has a sinuous stigma. Female is darker with no stigma. Underside of the hindwing of both sexes has a patch of large yellow spots in the center surrounded by dark brown.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: Males perch in sunny open areas to await receptive females, and courtship takes place throughout the day. Females lay eggs singly; caterpillars eat leaves and live in leaf shelters. Caterpillars and chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: Two to three broods from May-October.
Caterpillar Hosts: Rice cutgrass (Leersia oryzoides); probably bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and others.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including red clover, purple vetch, thistles, selfheal, New York ironweed, blue vervain, common milkweed, swamp milkweed, dogbane, and New Jersey tea.
Habitat: Many open grassy habitats including meadows, prairies, lawns, marshes, landfills, roadsides, vacant lots, and power line right-of-ways.
Range: British Columbia east across southern Canada to Nova Scotia; south to northeastern Oregon, southern Colorado, northwest Arkansas, and northern Georgia.
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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 6431 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 12, 2025
Submitted by: Nilesh Shah
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 29, 2025
Observation date: Oct 17, 2025
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 18, 2025
Observation date: Oct 12, 2025
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 13, 2025
Observation date: Jun 27, 2025
Submitted by: bshettler
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Oct 06, 2025
Observation date: Sep 11, 2025
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 26, 2025
Observation date: Sep 09, 2025
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Lancaster County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Sep 15, 2025
Observation date: Jul 14, 2025
Submitted by: actuallyamagpie
Region: Hamilton County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 13, 2025
Observation date: Jun 29, 2020
Submitted by: Rgilson
Region: Alleghany County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 01, 2025
Observation date: Aug 27, 2025
Submitted by: Bowbender
Region: Ashland County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 31, 2025
Observation date: Aug 27, 2025
Submitted by: kykrystal
Region: Hopkins County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 28, 2025
Observation date: Aug 24, 2025
Submitted by: psmith
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 25, 2025
Observation date: Aug 24, 2025
Submitted by: psmith
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 25, 2025
Observation date: Aug 22, 2025
Submitted by: cp2023
Region: Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 23, 2025
Observation date: Jul 07, 2025
Submitted by: actuallyamagpie
Region: Hamilton County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 21, 2025
Observation date: Aug 19, 2025
Submitted by: Emma Heim
Region: Stearns County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 20, 2025
Observation date: Aug 16, 2025
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 17, 2025
Observation date: Jul 27, 2025
Submitted by: LittleWoodSatyr
Region: Defiance County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 13, 2025
Observation date: Aug 09, 2025
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 10, 2025
Observation date: Jul 28, 2025
Submitted by: RLS
Region: Monroe County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 29, 2025
Observation date: Jul 28, 2025
Submitted by: tedzimmerman
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 28, 2025
Observation date: Jul 26, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Union County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 17, 2025
Observation date: Aug 03, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Union County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 17, 2025
Observation date: Sep 06, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Union County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 17, 2025
Observation date: Sep 05, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 17, 2025
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