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 445 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 28, 2018
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 05, 2018
Observation date: Jul 31, 2018
Submitted by: SMulhearn
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 03, 2018
Observation date: Jun 29, 2018
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 07, 2018
Observation date: May 27, 2018
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 07, 2018
Observation date: Aug 26, 2017
Submitted by: Mariaheld
Region: Canyon County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 19, 2018
Observation date: Aug 17, 2017
Submitted by: Wendy McCrady
Region: Custer County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Jun 19, 2018
Observation date: May 22, 2018
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Yakima County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 24, 2018
Observation date: Aug 25, 2017
Submitted by: BasinLepidoptera
Region: Grant County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Sep 26, 2017
Observation date: Aug 20, 2017
Submitted by: Chris Carvalho
Region: Deschutes County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 13, 2017
Observation date: Aug 09, 2017
Submitted by: sarabseth
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 18, 2017
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
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