Least Skipper
Ancyloxypha numitor (Fabricius, 1793)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Antennae are short. Upperside of forewing is orange with a wide, diffuse black border at the outer margin; hindwing is yellow-orange with a wide black margin. Underside of forewing is black with orange borders at the tip and leading edge; hindwing is yellow-orange.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: Males patrol for females with a low, fluttery flight through grassy areas. Females lay eggs singly on grass blades. Caterpillars feed on leaves and rest in nests of rolled or tied leaves. Third- and fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: Three broods from May-October in most of the range, four broods from February-December in the Deep South and Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various grasses including marsh millet (Zizaniopsis miliacea), rice cutgrass (Leersia oryzoides), and cultivated rice (Oryza sativa).
Adult Food: Flower nectar from low growing plants such as wood sorrel, swamp verbena, pickerelweed, chickory, and white clover.
Habitat: Moist or wet open places with tall grasses, marshes, ditches, slow streams, hillsides, or old fields with tall grasses.
Range: Nova Scotia west to southern Saskatchewan; south through the eastern states to Florida, the Gulf states, Texas, and southeastern Arizona. Strays to central Colorado.
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 25 - 48 of 4876 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 12, 2024
Submitted by: linnettse
Region: Putnam County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 12, 2024
Observation date: Jun 12, 2024
Submitted by: jwileyrains
Region: Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 12, 2024
Observation date: Jun 09, 2024
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 11, 2024
Observation date: May 25, 2024
Submitted by: Ozark_Bill
Region: Phelps County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 06, 2024
Observation date: May 31, 2024
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: Buffalo County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 02, 2024
Observation date: May 27, 2024
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Porter County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 27, 2024
Observation date: May 21, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 25, 2024
Observation date: May 26, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: James City County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
Observation date: Jul 19, 2023
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
Observation date: Nov 19, 2018
Submitted by: ridgeboy
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 01, 2023
Observation date: Sep 09, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 13, 2023
Observation date: Jun 03, 2022
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Benton County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 11, 2023
Observation date: Aug 29, 2023
Submitted by: rowley
Region: Wayne County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 29, 2023
Observation date: Aug 27, 2023
Submitted by: cp2023
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 28, 2023
Observation date: Aug 20, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
Observation date: Jun 06, 2023
Submitted by: jthompson6112
Region: Monroe County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 18, 2023
Observation date: Aug 18, 2023
Submitted by: cp2023
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 18, 2023
Observation date: May 03, 2023
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 17, 2023
Observation date: Aug 16, 2023
Submitted by: cp2023
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 16, 2023
Observation date: Sep 03, 2021
Submitted by: tirvine2020
Region: Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: Harry Pavulaan
Verified date: Aug 14, 2023
Observation date: Aug 28, 2022
Submitted by: Marquy275
Region: Wayne County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 12, 2023
Observation date: Aug 04, 2023
Submitted by: tjunderwood
Region: Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
Observation date: Aug 08, 2023
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: Buffalo County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 09, 2023
Observation date: Aug 05, 2023
Submitted by: TJ in Derry
Region: Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 06, 2023
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