Dusted Skipper
Atrytonopsis hianna (Scudder, 1868)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Fringes are brown with a few white spots. Upperside is gray-black; male forewing has a tiny stigma. Underside of hindwing is gray with white dusting outwardly and usually at least one white dot at the wing base. Populations on the southern Great Plains (A. h. turneri) are paler gray; those in Florida and along the southern Atlantic coast (A. h. loammi) have white spots on the hindwing undersides.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 11/16 inches (3.2 - 4.3 cm).
Life History: To watch for receptive females, males perch on or near the ground during the daytime. Caterpillars eat leaves and live in tents of silked-together leaves. Fully-grown caterpillars hibernate and pupate in a sealed nest at the base of the host plant.
Flight: One brood from May-June in the north; two broods from March-October in Florida.
Caterpillar Hosts: Little bluestem (Andropogon scoparius) and big bluestem (A. gerardi).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including Japanese honeysuckle, wild strawberry, blackberry, wild hyacinth, phlox, vervain, and red clover.
Habitat: Grasslands, prairies, barrens, and old fields.
Range: Local. Eastern Wyoming, central Colorado, northern New Mexico, and central Texas east to New Hampshire and Massachusetts; south to peninsular Florida and the Gulf Coast.
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
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 1087 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 14, 2024
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 15, 2024
Observation date: May 30, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Windham County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 09, 2024
Observation date: May 29, 2024
Submitted by: webielenberg
Region: Blount County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: May 30, 2024
Observation date: May 18, 2024
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Porter County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 22, 2024
Observation date: May 06, 2023
Submitted by: Ozark_Bill
Region: Jefferson County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 24, 2023
Observation date: Aug 07, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 08, 2023
Observation date: Jun 30, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 01, 2023
Observation date: Jun 30, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 01, 2023
Observation date: Jul 05, 2023
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 06, 2023
Observation date: May 14, 2023
Submitted by: Smalltowngirl
Region: Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 15, 2023
Observation date: May 27, 2023
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 13, 2023
Observation date: May 17, 2022
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: May 26, 2022
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: May 27, 2022
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: May 27, 2022
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: May 10, 2022
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Feb 12, 2023
Observation date: Jun 22, 2022
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: Sioux County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Feb 06, 2023
Observation date: Aug 29, 2022
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 05, 2022
Observation date: Jun 09, 2020
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Porter County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 26, 2022
Observation date: Jun 05, 2022
Submitted by: jhdwelly
Region: Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 13, 2022
Observation date: May 31, 2022
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: May 09, 2021
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Franklin County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Feb 15, 2022
Observation date: Jun 07, 2021
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Dec 29, 2021
Observation date: May 31, 2017
Submitted by: gcahalan
Region: Cecil County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2021
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