Broad-winged Skipper
Poanes viator (W.H. Edwards, 1865)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Forewings are rounded. Upperside of forewing is dark brown with a small yellow-orange area and small cream spots. Hindwing is mostly orange with a black border and black veins. Underside of hindwing is orange-brown with a yellow-orange streak running from the wingbase and a median band of squarish yellow-orange spots.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 2 1/4 inches (3.2 - 5.7 cm).
Life History: Males patrol through reeds or other host plant habitat with a slow, jerky flight to find females. Females lay eggs singly under the host plant leaves, which are eaten by the caterpillars. Caterpillars rest between a leaf and a stem, strengthening the area with silk before they molt.
Flight: One brood from late June to early August inland; two broods from July-August along the mid-Atlantic Coast; several broods from May-August in Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Inland populations feed on hairy sedge (Carex lacustris); coastal populations feed on reed (Phragmites communis), wild rice (Zizania aquatica), and marsh millet (Zizaniopsis miliacea).
Adult Food: Inland populations sip nectar from swamp milkweed, purple loosestrife, and blue vervain. Coastal populations use nectar from dogbane, swamp milkweed, pickerelweed, thistles, salt marsh fleabane, and others.
Habitat: Freshwater and saltwater marshes.
Range: Inland populations range from the eastern Dakotas east to south Quebec and central New York. Coastal populations occur from Massachusetts south to northern Florida and west along the Gulf Coast to central Texas.
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
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 1173 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: James City County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: James City County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
Observation date: Jul 01, 2022
Submitted by: terrymortier
Region: Burnett County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 24, 2024
Observation date: Jul 23, 2021
Submitted by: terrymortier
Region: Burnett County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 11, 2024
Observation date: Aug 05, 2023
Submitted by: Bob Bouman
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Mar 06, 2024
Observation date: Jul 24, 2023
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Feb 16, 2024
Observation date: Jul 24, 2023
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Feb 16, 2024
Observation date: Aug 09, 2023
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 24, 2023
Observation date: Aug 15, 2023
Submitted by: hclancy
Region: Bronx County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 16, 2023
Observation date: Aug 01, 2023
Submitted by: tjunderwood
Region: Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
Observation date: Aug 05, 2023
Submitted by: schaarschmidt
Region: Marion County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
Observation date: Aug 02, 2023
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
Observation date: Jul 24, 2023
Submitted by: Don Marotte
Region: Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 25, 2023
Observation date: Jul 23, 2023
Submitted by: AV-Photo1
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 22, 2023
Submitted by: garyfreed
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 22, 2023
Observation date: Jul 13, 2023
Submitted by: cblazo
Region: Tioga County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 22, 2023
Observation date: Jul 19, 2023
Submitted by: David Sonnen
Region: Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 19, 2023
Observation date: Jul 19, 2023
Submitted by: David Sonnen
Region: Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 19, 2023
Observation date: Jul 17, 2023
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 18, 2023
Observation date: Jul 17, 2023
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 17, 2023
Observation date: Jul 17, 2023
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 17, 2023
Observation date: Aug 12, 2007
Submitted by: Russ Wigh
Region: Chatham County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: May 27, 2023
Observation date: May 08, 2023
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Richmond County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: May 13, 2023
Observation date: Apr 01, 2023
Submitted by: robert.emond
Region: Levy County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 03, 2023
- ‹ previous
- 2 of 49
- next ›