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We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America online and free. If everyone who uses this resource makes a donation, we could cover our ongoing costs, develop new features, upgrade the system, and maybe even remove those pesky ads. Please make a one-time or recurring donation to show your support for this valuable source of information. Thank you!
Baracoa Skipper
Polites baracoa (Lucas, 1857)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside is dark brown; forewing with orange bars; male forewing with a very short stigma. Underside is brown; forewing markings repeated; hindwing with a row of pale spots.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: Not reported.
Flight: Several broods from March-November.
Caterpillar Hosts: Grasses.
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Grassy places near marshes and streams.
Range: Peninsular Florida, neighboring areas of south Georgia and southern Alabama, and the West Indies.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Pollinator Week was June 20-26, 2022!
Butterflies and moths are accidental pollinators of many flowering plants. While most species do not have special structures to carry pollen, they do brush against pollen and transfer it to other flowers.
Did you know? The Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas) flies close to the ground and uses its short proboscis to probe flowers of wild strawberry, white sweet clover, and other low-lying plants.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 56 verified sightings

Observation date: May 26, 2022
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 02, 2022

Observation date: May 27, 2022
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 02, 2022

Observation date: Mar 02, 2019
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 07, 2021

Observation date: Mar 02, 2019
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 07, 2021

Observation date: Mar 02, 2019
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 07, 2021

Observation date: Jun 08, 2019
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 29, 2021

Observation date: Jun 19, 2021
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 11, 2021

Observation date: Nov 24, 2020
Submitted by: Shearwater13
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 30, 2020

Observation date: Nov 24, 2020
Submitted by: guy_incognito
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 29, 2020

Observation date: Apr 25, 2016
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 29, 2020

Observation date: Nov 10, 2018
Submitted by: kellydfl
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 12, 2018

Observation date: Apr 08, 2018
Submitted by: wallap74
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 26, 2018

Observation date: Mar 15, 2015
Submitted by: LLJohnson
Region: Dominican Republic
Verified by: Doug Taron
Verified date: May 22, 2017

Observation date: Feb 09, 2017
Submitted by: bob_noble
Region: Dominican Republic
Verified by: Doug Taron
Verified date: May 22, 2017

Observation date: Apr 09, 2017
Submitted by: plruiz
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 12, 2017

Observation date: Apr 25, 2016
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 03, 2016

Observation date: Oct 18, 2015
Submitted by: rob77897@gmail.com
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 20, 2015

Observation date: Apr 25, 2015
Submitted by: Ron Smith
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 17, 2015

Observation date: Oct 11, 2013
Submitted by: Gary The Villages
Region: Sumter County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 15, 2013

Observation date: Feb 06, 2013
Submitted by: LLJohnson
Region: Dominican Republic
Verified by: Doug Taron
Verified date: May 29, 2013

Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BAMONA (Marian Mendez)
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010

Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BAMONA
Region:
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010

Observation date: Jun 05, 2009
Submitted by: MaryAnn Friedman (MaryAnn Friedman)
Region: Walton County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun (John Calhoun)
Verified date: Oct 13, 2009

Observation date: Mar 21, 2009
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (John Koemer)
Region: Dixie County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun (John Calhoun)
Verified date: Apr 01, 2009
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