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
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 1172 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 01, 2023
Submitted by: robert.emond
Region: Levy County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 03, 2023
Observation date: Aug 16, 2022
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Kent County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
Observation date: Aug 06, 2022
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 09, 2022
Observation date: Jun 04, 2021
Submitted by: Teamdean
Region: Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Aug 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 31, 2022
Submitted by: amparrish15
Region: New Castle County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 07, 2022
Observation date: Aug 04, 2022
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 05, 2022
Observation date: Jul 23, 2022
Submitted by: mysorekid
Region: Porter County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 29, 2022
Observation date: Jul 26, 2022
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 27, 2022
Observation date: Jul 20, 2022
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: Jul 20, 2022
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: Jul 20, 2022
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: Jul 16, 2022
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 16, 2022
Observation date: Jul 13, 2022
Submitted by: David Sonnen
Region: Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 14, 2022
Observation date: Jul 09, 2022
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 11, 2022
Observation date: Jul 09, 2022
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 09, 2022
Observation date: Jun 19, 2022
Submitted by: Eddie Wyatt
Region: Kent County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 20, 2022
Observation date: Jul 17, 2021
Submitted by: Kzfisherman
Region: McHenry County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: Doug Taron
Verified date: Jun 16, 2022
Observation date: Jun 06, 2022
Submitted by: DelawareDennis
Region: Kent County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 16, 2022
Observation date: May 01, 2022
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Liberty County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: May 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 10, 2020
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 01, 2022
Observation date: Jul 28, 2018
Submitted by: satchmo0802
Region: Kings County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 28, 2022
Observation date: Aug 03, 2016
Submitted by: hmclin
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 28, 2022
Observation date: Jul 28, 2016
Submitted by: Ansel Oommen
Region: New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 27, 2022
Observation date: Jun 29, 2019
Submitted by: DelawareDennis
Region: Kent County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 13, 2021
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