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 73 - 96 of 4876 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 31, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 26, 2022
Submitted by: pporonto
Region: Macomb County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 30, 2022
Observation date: Jul 02, 2022
Submitted by: Roose
Region: Saginaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 30, 2022
Observation date: Aug 27, 2022
Submitted by: drfrench
Region: Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 28, 2022
Observation date: Aug 22, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 23, 2022
Observation date: Aug 21, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 22, 2022
Observation date: Aug 21, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 22, 2022
Observation date: Aug 14, 2022
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
Observation date: Oct 05, 2017
Submitted by: KenL
Region: Virginia, Williamsburg, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Aug 14, 2022
Observation date: Jun 05, 2022
Submitted by: KSkrehot
Region: Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 12, 2022
Observation date: Aug 10, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 11, 2022
Observation date: Aug 10, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 11, 2022
Observation date: Aug 05, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 09, 2022
Observation date: Jul 30, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Montour County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 31, 2022
Observation date: Jun 16, 2021
Submitted by: Joceb2005
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 30, 2022
Observation date: Jul 28, 2022
Submitted by: jhdwelly
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 28, 2022
Observation date: Jul 22, 2022
Submitted by: CincyJeff
Region: Greene County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 27, 2022
Observation date: Jun 28, 2022
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: Jul 01, 2022
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: Jul 17, 2022
Submitted by: heather-russell
Region: McDowell County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 18, 2022
Observation date: Jul 07, 2022
Submitted by: pkondrashov
Region: Knox County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 10, 2022
Observation date: Jul 08, 2022
Submitted by: rlcook
Region: Perry County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 09, 2022
Observation date: Jun 24, 2022
Submitted by: pgrew1@unl.edu
Region: Penobscot County, Maine, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 02, 2022
Observation date: Sep 06, 2021
Submitted by: DVL
Region: Fairfax County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jun 30, 2022
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