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 217 - 240 of 2608 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 03, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 04, 2022
Observation date: Jun 03, 2022
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 04, 2022
Observation date: Jun 01, 2022
Submitted by: ships333
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 02, 2022
Observation date: May 27, 2019
Submitted by: ChrissyL
Region: Johnson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: May 27, 2019
Submitted by: ChrissyL
Region: Johnson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: May 27, 2019
Submitted by: ChrissyL
Region: Johnson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: May 24, 2020
Submitted by: sbcsmith-rickboeth
Region: Grundy County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 18, 2020
Submitted by: sbcsmith-rickboeth
Region: Grundy County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 09, 2020
Submitted by: sbcsmith-rickboeth
Region: Grundy County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 04, 2020
Submitted by: sbcsmith-rickboeth
Region: Grundy County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: May 29, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: May 29, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: May 30, 2022
Submitted by: Kzfisherman
Region: Kankakee County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 31, 2022
Observation date: May 27, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 28, 2022
Observation date: May 27, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 28, 2022
Observation date: May 27, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 28, 2022
Observation date: May 25, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 28, 2022
Observation date: May 20, 2022
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: May 26, 2022
Observation date: May 25, 2022
Submitted by: Holliber
Region: Orange County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 25, 2022
Observation date: May 24, 2022
Submitted by: jhdwelly
Region: Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 24, 2022
Observation date: May 21, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 24, 2022
Observation date: May 21, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 24, 2022
Observation date: May 21, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 24, 2022
Observation date: Mar 26, 2018
Submitted by: Brian Ahern
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 13, 2022
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