Sandhill Skipper
Polites sabuleti (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Common and quite variable. Upperside of male is yellow-orange with dark toothed borders and a sinuous stigma on the forewing. Upperside of female has heavier dark markings and almost transparent light spots; no stigma. Underside of the hindwing in both sexes is yellow-tan with yellow veins, dark chevrons between the veins at the outer margin, and dark spots at the vein ends.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/4 inches (2.2 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: To watch for females, males perch all day in low grassy areas. Females deposit eggs singly on the host or on nearby plants. Caterpillars feed on leaves and take shelter in nests of tied leaves. Chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: One flight from June-August at high elevations; several flights from March-October in the south and at low elevations.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various grasses including Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), bluegrass (Poa pratensis), desert salt grass (Distichlis spicata var. stricta), sand lovegrass (Eragrostis trichodes), rough bentgrass (Agrostis scabra), Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis), and alpine fescue (Festuca brachyphylla).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Alkali grasslands, moist meadows, lawns, salt marshes, sand dunes, sagebrush flats, and alpine fell-fields.
Range: Southern British Columbia and eastern Washington south through California and northern Arizona to Baja California; east to southeastern Wyoming, central Colorado, and northeastern New Mexico.
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.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 145 - 168 of 503 verified sightings
Observation date: Nov 04, 2010
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: Jul 16, 2007
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jeff Pippin)
Region: Tuolumne County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: Sep 23, 2003
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (William Bouton)
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: May 06, 2010
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Kim Davis & Mike Stangeland)
Region: Inyo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BAMONA
Region:
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010
Observation date: Sep 10, 1989
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (John F. Emmel)
Region: Inyo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 02, 2010
Observation date: Jul 10, 1986
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Amador County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Apr 02, 2010
Observation date: Jul 15, 1986
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Amador County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Apr 02, 2010
Observation date: Aug 29, 1981
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Sterling Mattoon)
Region: Glenn County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Sep 22, 1978
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Nevada County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Sep 01, 1990
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Jul 21, 1988
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Laurence Crabtree)
Region: Tehama County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Sep 04, 1988
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Jul 05, 1991
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Laurence Crabtree)
Region: Plumas County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Sep 22, 1977
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Nevada County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Sep 11, 1977
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Nevada County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: May 12, 1989
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. & T. Emmel)
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: May 12, 1989
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (T. & J. Emmel)
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Mar 18, 1990
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (T. & J. Emmel)
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Aug 16, 1981
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Sterling Mattoon)
Region: Trinity County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Jul 08, 1974
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Norman Nakanishi)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Aug 17, 1947
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (T. Hower)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Jul 04, 1934
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Don Meadows)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Aug 16, 1964
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Charles Sexton)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
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