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 265 - 288 of 2608 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 01, 2019
Submitted by: reupurtbones
Region: Garrard County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Dec 31, 2021
Observation date: Aug 01, 2021
Submitted by: LBN
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Nov 23, 2021
Observation date: Aug 23, 2020
Submitted by: Sonofelmore
Region: Wilson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: S. J. Stedman
Verified date: Nov 18, 2021
Observation date: Aug 06, 2020
Submitted by: sbcsmith-rickboeth
Region: Grundy County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: S. J. Stedman
Verified date: Nov 18, 2021
Observation date: Jul 31, 2021
Submitted by: rogerashton
Region: New Castle County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 09, 2021
Observation date: May 18, 2017
Submitted by: ndricks
Region: Washington County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2021
Observation date: Aug 30, 2017
Submitted by: SusanPotomac
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2021
Observation date: Jun 15, 2017
Submitted by: mollieking
Region: Calvert County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2021
Observation date: Aug 16, 2017
Submitted by: cmgauger
Region: New Castle County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 20, 2017
Submitted by: SusanPotomac
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 05, 2017
Submitted by: botanybill
Region:
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 19, 2017
Submitted by: grayhairstreak
Region: New Castle County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 20, 2017
Submitted by: rogerashton
Region: Kent County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 21, 2017
Submitted by: botanybill
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 13, 2018
Submitted by: jwilkinson
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 05, 2021
Observation date: Aug 11, 2018
Submitted by: Bill Link
Region: Baltimore County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 05, 2021
Observation date: Aug 03, 2019
Submitted by: donmsmith
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Jul 30, 2019
Submitted by: Bookwurm81
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Sep 16, 2019
Submitted by: aodonne3
Region: Talbot County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Jun 27, 2020
Submitted by: grayhairstreak
Region: New Castle County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Aug 16, 2019
Submitted by: WndrWmn
Region: Cecil County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 02, 2021
Observation date: Jun 04, 2020
Submitted by: sbcsmith-rickboeth
Region: Grundy County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: S. J. Stedman
Verified date: Nov 02, 2021
Observation date: Jun 10, 2020
Submitted by: sbcsmith-rickboeth
Region: Grundy County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: S. J. Stedman
Verified date: Nov 02, 2021
Observation date: Aug 11, 2017
Submitted by: webielenberg
Region: Blount County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: S. J. Stedman
Verified date: Nov 01, 2021
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