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 49 - 72 of 4876 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 01, 2023
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 04, 2023
Observation date: Jul 19, 2023
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 22, 2023
Observation date: Jun 22, 2023
Submitted by: vogelbild
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 02, 2023
Observation date: Jun 28, 2023
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Lincoln County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 01, 2023
Observation date: Jun 18, 2023
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Blue Earth County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 01, 2023
Observation date: Jun 18, 2023
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Watonwan County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 01, 2023
Observation date: Jun 25, 2023
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 30, 2023
Observation date: Jun 23, 2023
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2023
Observation date: Jun 15, 2023
Submitted by: Ohio97
Region: Greene County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Jun 24, 2023
Observation date: Jun 15, 2023
Submitted by: Ohio97
Region: Greene County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Jun 24, 2023
Observation date: Jun 23, 2023
Submitted by: dlister
Region: Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 23, 2023
Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: davek
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
Observation date: Jun 13, 2023
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
Observation date: Aug 28, 2022
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Dec 30, 2022
Observation date: Sep 06, 2022
Submitted by: bchensel
Region: Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 01, 2022
Observation date: May 18, 2020
Submitted by: sari
Region: Fort Bend County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Aug 06, 2022
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Washington County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 05, 2022
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: McCurtain County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Aug 29, 2022
Submitted by: KABerry
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 23, 2022
Observation date: Jun 03, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: Boone County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Eric Wood
Verified date: Sep 18, 2022
Observation date: Sep 11, 2022
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: Buffalo County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 13, 2022
Observation date: Sep 03, 2022
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 08, 2022
Observation date: Sep 03, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 04, 2022
Observation date: Jul 04, 2021
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Crawford County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 02, 2022
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