Whirlabout
Polites vibex (Geyer, 1832)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Males and females are very different. Male Upperside is yellow-orange; forewing has a black stigma and neighboring black square patch; black margins of hindwing are smooth inwardly. Underside is yellow-orange; hindwing has a few large blurred black spots. Female: Upperside is dark brown; forewing has a few clear spots. Underside is gray or sooty yellow with a central pale patch outlined with dark scales.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/2 inches (2.5 - 3.9 cm).
Life History: Adult flight is quick and darting. Females are usually found in forest openings or edges; males perch to await females during the afternoon. Caterpillars live in a tube of silked-together leaves and feed mostly at night.
Flight: Two broods from April-September in the north; all year in Florida and South Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Grasses including Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), and thin paspalum (Paspalum setaceum).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including shepherd\'s needle and lantana.
Habitat: Scrubby or open habitats including dunes, fields, pinewoods, roadsides, forest openings, yards, and parks.
Range: Southeastern United States and the West Indies south through eastern Mexico and central America to Argentina. Periodically strays north to northeast Iowa, northern Ohio, and Connecticut.
Conservation: Not 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 687 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 21, 2025
Submitted by: kdegeiso
Region: Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 21, 2025
Observation date: Apr 08, 2025
Submitted by: KShell
Region: Dixie County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 08, 2025
Observation date: Feb 15, 2025
Submitted by: Gordon Phillips
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Mar 31, 2025
Observation date: Oct 17, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Nov 04, 2024
Observation date: Sep 02, 2024
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 03, 2024
Observation date: Aug 11, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 16, 2024
Observation date: Sep 24, 2023
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Taylor County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 12, 2024
Observation date: Aug 02, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 08, 2024
Observation date: Jul 27, 2024
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Allendale County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 30, 2024
Observation date: Jul 18, 2024
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 19, 2024
Observation date: Jun 16, 2024
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 17, 2024
Observation date: Jun 07, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jun 08, 2024
Observation date: Apr 11, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Apr 24, 2024
Observation date: Jul 17, 2020
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Feb 28, 2024
Observation date: Aug 14, 2023
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 16, 2023
Observation date: Aug 10, 2023
Submitted by: Birdwatcher5
Region: Volusia County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 12, 2023
Observation date: Jul 17, 2023
Submitted by: sgensits
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 03, 2023
Submitted by: cklindsey
Region: Harrison County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 15, 2023
Observation date: Jun 04, 2023
Submitted by: polylepis
Region: Harris County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 09, 2023
Observation date: Sep 09, 2007
Submitted by: Russ Wigh
Region: Chatham County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: May 27, 2023
Observation date: Nov 27, 2022
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: El Salvador
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 26, 2023
Observation date: Nov 07, 2022
Submitted by: Cheri Phillips
Region: Clay County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 15, 2023
Observation date: Apr 02, 2023
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Levy County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 07, 2023
Observation date: Mar 12, 2023
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Marion County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 21, 2023
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