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 6465 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 09, 2026
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 10, 2026
Observation date: Aug 09, 2026
Submitted by: Doug DeNeve
Region: Alleghany County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 10, 2026
Observation date: Aug 09, 2026
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 09, 2026
Observation date: Aug 01, 2026
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 02, 2026
Observation date: Jul 31, 2026
Submitted by: Tam Stage
Region: Williams County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 01, 2026
Observation date: Jul 29, 2026
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 30, 2026
Observation date: Jul 30, 2026
Submitted by: melinamtopp
Region: Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 30, 2026
Observation date: Jul 26, 2026
Submitted by: engineergirl
Region: Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 28, 2026
Observation date: Jul 22, 2026
Submitted by: Graycatbird88
Region: Rockland County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 23, 2026
Observation date: Jul 22, 2026
Submitted by: Graycatbird88
Region: Rockland County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 23, 2026
Observation date: Jul 19, 2026
Submitted by: zbeckb
Region: Hamilton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 20, 2026
Observation date: Jul 19, 2026
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 19, 2026
Observation date: Jul 13, 2026
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 15, 2026
Observation date: May 30, 2026
Submitted by: Roose
Region: Genesee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Jul 10, 2026
Observation date: Jul 08, 2026
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 08, 2026
Observation date: Jul 06, 2026
Submitted by: Kgswan
Region: Grant County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 06, 2026
Observation date: Aug 22, 2023
Submitted by: Tam Stage
Region: Defiance County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 27, 2026
Observation date: Sep 24, 2024
Submitted by: Tam Stage
Region: Defiance County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 27, 2026
Observation date: May 29, 2026
Submitted by: Rgilson
Region: Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 19, 2026
Observation date: May 25, 2026
Submitted by: Rgilson
Region: Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 19, 2026
Observation date: Jun 06, 2026
Submitted by: Rgilson
Region: Alleghany County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 19, 2026
Observation date: Jun 14, 2026
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 15, 2026
Observation date: Jun 08, 2026
Submitted by: tlspitz
Region: Brookings County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 10, 2026
Observation date: Jun 02, 2026
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 02, 2026
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