Crossline Skipper
Polites origenes (Fabricius, 1793)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside is dark brown with orange markings. Female usually lacks orange along the forewing costa and has a square spot below the end of the cell; male has a long, straight forewing stigma. Underside of hindwing is orange-brown with a faint band of spots.
Wing Span: 1 1/8 - 1 1/2 inches (2.9 - 3.8 cm).
Life History: Males perch in open grassy areas most of the day to await receptive females. Courtship occurs from midday to mid-afternoon. Third- and fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: One brood from June-August in the north, two broods from May-September in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: Purpletop (Tridens flavus), little bluestem (Andropogon scoparius), and other grasses.
Adult Food: White, pink, or purple flowers are preferred including purple vetch, red clover, selfheal, dogbane, shrub houstonia, New Jersey tea, and New York ironweed.
Habitat: Open grassy areas including prairies hills, barrens, power line cuts, old fields, forest openings.
Range: Western North Dakota east across central Minnesota, southern Ontario, and southern Quebec to central Maine; south to northeast Texas, the Gulf Coast, and northern Florida. A separate population (P. o. rhena) occurs along the Rocky Mountains from northern Colorado to northeastern New Mexico.
Conservation: Populations of subspecies rhena, found in patches of all tall-grass prairies, should be conserved wherever found.
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 1 - 24 of 1768 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 04, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Warren County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 20, 2024
Observation date: Sep 04, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Warren County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 20, 2024
Observation date: Sep 10, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 13, 2024
Observation date: Aug 09, 2024
Submitted by: Tdloyd
Region: Sumner County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 12, 2024
Observation date: Jul 06, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Custer County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 08, 2024
Observation date: Jul 14, 2024
Submitted by: David Trently
Region: Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 26, 2024
Observation date: Jul 15, 2023
Submitted by: chherrmann
Region: Page County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
Observation date: Jul 11, 2022
Submitted by: Susan McSwain
Region: Nelson County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
Observation date: Aug 13, 2023
Submitted by: Indy Entomologist
Region: Boone County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 14, 2023
Observation date: Jul 29, 2023
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 31, 2023
Observation date: Jul 22, 2023
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 17, 2023
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 20, 2023
Observation date: Jul 10, 2023
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 12, 2023
Observation date: Jul 05, 2023
Submitted by: dlister
Region: Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 09, 2023
Observation date: Jun 16, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
Observation date: Jun 09, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
Observation date: Jun 08, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 12, 2023
Observation date: Aug 06, 2022
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Washington County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Oct 15, 2022
Observation date: Sep 18, 2022
Submitted by: Smalltowngirl
Region: Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 20, 2022
Observation date: Sep 04, 2022
Submitted by: hflamholtz
Region: Richland County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 20, 2022
Observation date: Aug 06, 2022
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Washington County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 06, 2022
Observation date: Jul 07, 2022
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Sep 05, 2022
Observation date: Aug 25, 2022
Submitted by: Roose
Region: Saginaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 04, 2022
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Fentress County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 22, 2022
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