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 313 - 336 of 2608 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 19, 2021
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 23, 2021
Observation date: Aug 17, 2021
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Camden County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Eric Wood
Verified date: Aug 23, 2021
Observation date: Aug 15, 2021
Submitted by: lbrichta
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 22, 2021
Observation date: Aug 20, 2021
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Jackson County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 21, 2021
Observation date: Aug 15, 2021
Submitted by: Eddie Wyatt
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 16, 2021
Observation date: Aug 15, 2021
Submitted by: Eddie Wyatt
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 16, 2021
Observation date: Aug 14, 2021
Submitted by: Kaytee1047
Region: Rockland County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 15, 2021
Observation date: Aug 13, 2021
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 14, 2021
Observation date: Aug 08, 2021
Submitted by: jhcalladine
Region: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 13, 2021
Observation date: Aug 10, 2021
Submitted by: pkondrashov
Region: Adair County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 11, 2021
Observation date: Aug 11, 2021
Submitted by: greggra
Region: Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 11, 2021
Observation date: Aug 09, 2021
Submitted by: dineja321
Region: Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 11, 2021
Observation date: Aug 09, 2021
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 11, 2021
Observation date: Aug 08, 2021
Submitted by: Mark Duigon
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 11, 2021
Observation date: Aug 09, 2021
Submitted by: MachinadeBizarre
Region: Kings County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 10, 2021
Observation date: Aug 06, 2021
Submitted by: rogerashton
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 08, 2021
Observation date: Aug 04, 2021
Submitted by: TomJ
Region: Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 08, 2021
Observation date: Aug 08, 2021
Submitted by: ReginaS
Region: Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 08, 2021
Observation date: Aug 08, 2021
Submitted by: tirvine2020
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 08, 2021
Observation date: Aug 05, 2021
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 07, 2021
Observation date: Aug 05, 2021
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 07, 2021
Observation date: Aug 02, 2021
Submitted by: Ohio97
Region: Butler County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Aug 04, 2021
Observation date: Aug 01, 2021
Submitted by: EMB
Region: Franklin County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Aug 03, 2021
Observation date: Jul 31, 2021
Submitted by: wvscorchy
Region: Marion County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 01, 2021
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