Zabulon Skipper
Poanes zabulon (Boisduval & Leconte, [1837])
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Male black borders and no stigma. Underside of hindwing is mostly yellow with a dark brown wingbase and outer margin. Female: Upperside is purple-brown with pale yellow spots; underside of hindwing is brown and purple-gray with a white-edged costal margin.
Wing Span: 1 3/8 - 1 5/8 inches (3.5 - 4.2 cm).
Life History: Males perch in sunlit openings or edges on leaves about 3-5 feet above the ground. They appear to defend their territory and may keep a perch for up to a week. Courtship usually occurs in the afternoon. Females lay eggs singly under the host leaves. Caterpillars feed on leaves and make shelters of silk-tied leaves.
Flight: Two broods from May-September in the north; several broods all year in the tropical highlands.
Caterpillar Hosts: Grasses including lovegrass (Eragrostis), purpletop (Tridens), bluegrass (Poa), wheatgrass (Agropyron), orchardgrass (Dactylis), wildrye (Elymus), and bentgrass (Agrostis).
Adult Food: Nectar from a variety of flowers including the exotics Japanese honeysuckle, red clover, everlasting pea, and selfheal; and the natives blackberry, purple vetch, common milkweed, buttonbush, joe-pye weed, and thistles.
Habitat: Brushy openings near moist forests and streams.
Range: Massachusetts west through southern Michigan to central Kansas; south to central Florida, southern Louisiana, and northeast Texas. Strays to New Mexico, South Dakota, and southern Quebec. A separate population ranges from central Mexico south to Panama.
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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 241 - 264 of 2608 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 30, 2022
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Fentress County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: May 03, 2022
Observation date: Apr 08, 2022
Submitted by: Ryan84
Region: Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 25, 2022
Observation date: Apr 10, 2022
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 14, 2022
Observation date: Apr 05, 2022
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Apr 07, 2022
Observation date: Jun 10, 2020
Submitted by: malcolmgold
Region: Johnson County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: azukoff
Verified date: Apr 06, 2022
Observation date: Mar 27, 2022
Submitted by: Ryan84
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Mar 31, 2022
Observation date: Mar 27, 2022
Submitted by: sgensits
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 28, 2022
Observation date: Aug 31, 2019
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Putnam County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 23, 2022
Observation date: Jun 02, 2018
Submitted by: satchmo0802
Region: Kings County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 03, 2022
Observation date: Jun 02, 2020
Submitted by: wpr.wheeler
Region: Rockland County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 03, 2022
Observation date: Jun 10, 2020
Submitted by: kristenej
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 03, 2022
Observation date: Jun 11, 2020
Submitted by: kristenej
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 03, 2022
Observation date: Jul 07, 2019
Submitted by: Tindomul1of9
Region: Queens County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 03, 2022
Observation date: Jul 31, 2020
Submitted by: lantana
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 27, 2022
Observation date: Aug 03, 2020
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Feb 05, 2022
Observation date: Aug 01, 2021
Submitted by: CincyJeff
Region: Clark County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 30, 2022
Observation date: Jun 03, 2020
Submitted by: tom nolan
Region: Burlington County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Jan 10, 2022
Observation date: Jul 24, 2017
Submitted by: ELFredrickson
Region: Mercer County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 05, 2022
Observation date: May 05, 2019
Submitted by: reupurtbones
Region: Metcalfe County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 03, 2022
Observation date: May 17, 2019
Submitted by: reupurtbones
Region: Warren County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 03, 2022
Observation date: May 20, 2019
Submitted by: reupurtbones
Region: Warren County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 03, 2022
Observation date: Jun 02, 2019
Submitted by: reupurtbones
Region: Metcalfe County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 03, 2022
Observation date: Jul 20, 2019
Submitted by: reupurtbones
Region: Metcalfe County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 02, 2022
Observation date: Jul 27, 2019
Submitted by: reupurtbones
Region: Hart County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 02, 2022
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