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 169 - 192 of 4876 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 10, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jan 15, 2021
Observation date: Jun 17, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jan 11, 2021
Observation date: Aug 17, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jan 11, 2021
Observation date: Sep 04, 2016
Submitted by: Irvine
Region: Henrico County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 10, 2021
Observation date: Jun 11, 2017
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Bedford County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 10, 2021
Observation date: Jun 23, 2017
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Bedford County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 09, 2021
Observation date: Aug 09, 2018
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 09, 2021
Observation date: Aug 25, 2018
Submitted by: Mike Sheehan
Region: Prince William County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 09, 2021
Observation date: Sep 19, 2019
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 09, 2021
Observation date: Sep 13, 2018
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 09, 2018
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Bedford County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 06, 2021
Observation date: Jun 17, 2018
Submitted by: a-o
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 06, 2021
Observation date: May 21, 2019
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 04, 2021
Observation date: Jul 16, 2019
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 03, 2021
Observation date: Aug 10, 2016
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 01, 2021
Observation date: Sep 10, 2020
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 01, 2021
Observation date: Jul 04, 2020
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Dec 31, 2020
Observation date: Aug 01, 2020
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Dec 31, 2020
Observation date: Aug 21, 2019
Submitted by: kingfisher743
Region: Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 18, 2020
Observation date: Aug 20, 2020
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 17, 2020
Observation date: Jun 12, 2017
Submitted by: Kathy Brown
Region: Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 17, 2020
Observation date: Jun 11, 2017
Submitted by: Kathy Brown
Region: Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 17, 2020
Observation date: Jun 29, 2015
Submitted by: stucknick
Region: Des Moines County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: Eric Wood
Verified date: Dec 10, 2020
Observation date: Jun 06, 2015
Submitted by: KristyBaker
Region: Tyrrell County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 10, 2020
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