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 121 - 144 of 4876 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 13, 2020
Submitted by: BMcNaught
Region: Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 23, 2021
Observation date: Aug 15, 2021
Submitted by: rarecat
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 07, 2021
Observation date: Aug 19, 2021
Submitted by: Marquy275
Region: Wayne County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 23, 2021
Observation date: Sep 28, 2019
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 22, 2021
Observation date: Jul 26, 2021
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 21, 2021
Observation date: Aug 15, 2021
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 16, 2021
Observation date: Jul 17, 2021
Submitted by: pkondrashov
Region: Adair County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 11, 2021
Observation date: Aug 09, 2021
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 11, 2021
Observation date: Aug 01, 2021
Submitted by: rseidler
Region: St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 07, 2021
Observation date: Aug 03, 2021
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Hall County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Aug 06, 2021
Observation date: May 01, 2021
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Orange County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 05, 2021
Observation date: Jul 31, 2021
Submitted by: ships333
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 04, 2021
Observation date: Jul 13, 2021
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Guilford County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 30, 2021
Observation date: Aug 22, 2020
Submitted by: AV-Photo1
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 26, 2021
Observation date: Jun 06, 2021
Submitted by: S_Gucciardo
Region: Washington County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 24, 2021
Observation date: Jul 20, 2021
Submitted by: yardbird
Region: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 23, 2021
Observation date: Jun 15, 2021
Submitted by: L Reid
Region: Kane County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 22, 2021
Observation date: Jul 18, 2021
Submitted by: Ohio97
Region: Greene County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Jul 18, 2021
Observation date: Jul 17, 2021
Submitted by: Dora Diercks
Region: Randolph County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 18, 2021
Observation date: Jun 28, 2021
Submitted by: Prairie Wetland...
Region: Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jul 16, 2021
Observation date: Jul 16, 2020
Submitted by: S_Gucciardo
Region: Washington County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 16, 2021
Observation date: Aug 18, 2020
Submitted by: S_Gucciardo
Region: Washington County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 16, 2021
Observation date: Sep 07, 2020
Submitted by: S_Gucciardo
Region: Washington County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 16, 2021
Observation date: Sep 07, 2020
Submitted by: S_Gucciardo
Region: Washington County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 16, 2021
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