Sandhill Skipper
Polites sabuleti (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Common and quite variable. Upperside of male is yellow-orange with dark toothed borders and a sinuous stigma on the forewing. Upperside of female has heavier dark markings and almost transparent light spots; no stigma. Underside of the hindwing in both sexes is yellow-tan with yellow veins, dark chevrons between the veins at the outer margin, and dark spots at the vein ends.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/4 inches (2.2 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: To watch for females, males perch all day in low grassy areas. Females deposit eggs singly on the host or on nearby plants. Caterpillars feed on leaves and take shelter in nests of tied leaves. Chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: One flight from June-August at high elevations; several flights from March-October in the south and at low elevations.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various grasses including Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), bluegrass (Poa pratensis), desert salt grass (Distichlis spicata var. stricta), sand lovegrass (Eragrostis trichodes), rough bentgrass (Agrostis scabra), Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis), and alpine fescue (Festuca brachyphylla).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Alkali grasslands, moist meadows, lawns, salt marshes, sand dunes, sagebrush flats, and alpine fell-fields.
Range: Southern British Columbia and eastern Washington south through California and northern Arizona to Baja California; east to southeastern Wyoming, central Colorado, and northeastern New Mexico.
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.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 435 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 18, 2017
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 18, 2017
Observation date: Jul 10, 2017
Submitted by: philohela
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 16, 2017
Observation date: Jun 12, 2017
Submitted by: sarabseth
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 04, 2017
Observation date: Oct 13, 2016
Submitted by: Bdog
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 19, 2016
Observation date: Aug 30, 2016
Submitted by: RichHubie
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 06, 2016
Observation date: Aug 30, 2016
Submitted by: RichHubie
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 06, 2016
Observation date: Aug 08, 2016
Submitted by: yardbird
Region: Tuolumne County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 14, 2016
Observation date: Jul 01, 2016
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 26, 2016
Observation date: Jul 18, 2016
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Inyo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 21, 2016
Observation date: Jul 19, 2016
Submitted by: RichHubie
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 20, 2016
Observation date: Mar 19, 2016
Submitted by: PONYRCR
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 22, 2016
Observation date: Mar 19, 2016
Submitted by: PONYRCR
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 22, 2016
Observation date: Oct 20, 2015
Submitted by: Josiah Gilbert
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 30, 2015
Observation date: Oct 18, 2014
Submitted by: Josiah Gilbert
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 30, 2015
Observation date: Sep 05, 2015
Submitted by: Josiah Gilbert
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 30, 2015
Observation date: Sep 19, 2015
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 20, 2015
Observation date: Aug 31, 2015
Submitted by: johnh62
Region: Teton County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 18, 2015
Observation date: Sep 04, 2015
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 05, 2015
Observation date: Sep 04, 2015
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 05, 2015
Observation date: Aug 18, 2015
Submitted by: plex1ppus
Region: Spokane County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 20, 2015
Observation date: Aug 01, 2015
Submitted by: PONYRCR
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 02, 2015
Observation date: Jul 11, 2015
Submitted by: Selwyn Quan
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 14, 2015
Observation date: Aug 25, 2014
Submitted by: Jdammarell
Region: Lincoln County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Dec 08, 2014
Observation date: Sep 13, 2014
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 17, 2014
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