Common Roadside-Skipper
Amblyscirtes vialis (W.H. Edwards, 1862)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside is black with a few small white spots at the tip of the forewing. Underside is dark brown with violet-gray at the forewing tip and the outer half of the hindwing.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/4 inches (2.2 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: To await receptive females, males perch on the ground or low plants in forest openings or edges, waving their antennae in small circles. Females deposit eggs singly on the host plants; caterpillars eat leaves, and make shelters of rolled and tied leaves. Caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: One brood from March-July; a partial second brood up to September in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various grasses including wild oats (Avena), bent grass (Agrostis), bluegrass (Poa), Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), and Indian woodoats grass (Chasmanthium latifolia).
Adult Food: These skippers prefer nectar from low-growing blue flowers including verbena and selfheal.
Habitat: Open areas in or near woodland, often close to streams.
Range: The Roadside Skipper is the most widespread skipper in North America. It occurs from British Columbia east across southern Canada to Maine and Nova Scotia; south to central California, northern New Mexico, Texas, the Gulf states, and northern Florida.
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 73 - 96 of 1319 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 04, 2019
Submitted by: Jdammarell
Region: Lincoln County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 05, 2019
Observation date: May 22, 2019
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 24, 2019
Observation date: May 19, 2019
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 19, 2019
Observation date: Jun 13, 2006
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Stillwater County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 21, 2019
Observation date: Apr 23, 2011
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Jan 19, 2019
Observation date: May 19, 2018
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: May 22, 2018
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: May 30, 2018
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Aug 10, 2018
Submitted by: KS bird-man
Region: Saline County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 11, 2018
Observation date: May 12, 2012
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Newberry County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 18, 2018
Observation date: Jul 16, 2016
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Laurens County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 18, 2018
Observation date: Jun 20, 2018
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 07, 2018
Observation date: Jul 01, 2018
Submitted by: Doug Bruce
Region: Roane County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Jul 01, 2018
Observation date: Jun 05, 2018
Submitted by: mbalame99
Region: Clatsop County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 27, 2018
Observation date: Jun 12, 2018
Submitted by: pjarvi
Region: Antrim County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jun 13, 2018
Observation date: Apr 27, 2018
Submitted by: KS bird-man
Region: Saline County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 04, 2018
Observation date: Aug 01, 2006
Submitted by: rseidler
Region: Polk County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Feb 27, 2018
Observation date: Sep 27, 2017
Submitted by: cblazo
Region: Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 05, 2017
Observation date: Jun 06, 2016
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Sep 22, 2017
Observation date: Jul 21, 2017
Submitted by: julmast
Region: Elkhart County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Jul 21, 2017
Observation date: Jul 09, 2017
Submitted by: Doug Bruce
Region: Morgan County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Jul 19, 2017
Observation date: May 28, 2017
Submitted by: wayne13114
Region: Jefferson County, New York, United States
Verified by: wayne13114
Verified date: Jun 19, 2017
Observation date: Jun 11, 2017
Submitted by: Sue Orlowski
Region: Pend Oreille County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 12, 2017
Observation date: Jun 09, 2017
Submitted by: jvkopple2
Region: Kalkaska County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jun 09, 2017
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