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
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 483 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 12, 2022
Submitted by: dharlette
Region: Alameda County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 19, 2022
Observation date: Jul 12, 2022
Submitted by: dharlette
Region: Alameda County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 19, 2022
Observation date: May 14, 2022
Submitted by: dchartier
Region: Otero County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jun 27, 2022
Observation date: Jun 19, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Glenn County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 19, 2021
Observation date: Oct 04, 2021
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Lincoln County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Oct 08, 2021
Observation date: Aug 29, 2021
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 31, 2021
Observation date: Jun 24, 2021
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 03, 2021
Observation date: Jul 02, 2021
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 03, 2021
Observation date: Jun 19, 2021
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 19, 2021
Observation date: Mar 28, 2021
Submitted by: guy_incognito
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 29, 2021
Observation date: Sep 04, 2019
Submitted by: EdVermeulen
Region: Coos County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 26, 2021
Observation date: Aug 24, 2020
Submitted by: Luna-Linuche.76
Region: Klamath County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 07, 2020
Submitted by: Luna-Linuche.76
Region: Klamath County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 21, 2020
Observation date: Aug 03, 2020
Submitted by: Shearwater13
Region: Walla Walla County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 07, 2020
Observation date: Jul 31, 2020
Submitted by: Shearwater13
Region: Walla Walla County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 03, 2020
Observation date: Jul 31, 2020
Submitted by: Crsoak
Region: Alameda County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 01, 2020
Observation date: Jul 15, 2020
Submitted by: Crsoak
Region: Alameda County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 16, 2020
Observation date: Jun 30, 2020
Submitted by: ahwelch
Region: Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 05, 2020
Observation date: Jun 30, 2020
Submitted by: ahwelch
Region: Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 05, 2020
Observation date: Jun 25, 2020
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 26, 2020
Observation date: Apr 03, 2020
Submitted by: sarabseth
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 13, 2020
Observation date: Aug 17, 2017
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 24, 2020
Observation date: Sep 06, 2016
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: San Juan County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 24, 2020
Observation date: Oct 22, 2019
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 04, 2020
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