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 217 - 240 of 4876 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 02, 2012
Submitted by: cjbruchman
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 19, 2020
Observation date: Jun 02, 2012
Submitted by: cjbruchman
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 19, 2020
Observation date: Jun 09, 2020
Submitted by: joanfiller
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 19, 2020
Observation date: Aug 17, 2020
Submitted by: alaimins
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 18, 2020
Observation date: Aug 01, 2020
Submitted by: Eddie Wyatt
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 18, 2020
Observation date: Jul 28, 2020
Submitted by: elkeno
Region: Albany County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 16, 2020
Observation date: Aug 15, 2020
Submitted by: Dallasyork97
Region: Chattooga County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 16, 2020
Observation date: Aug 07, 2020
Submitted by: wpbrown23
Region: Yates County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 16, 2020
Observation date: Aug 08, 2020
Submitted by: anne.spivey
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 16, 2020
Observation date: Aug 06, 2020
Submitted by: joanfiller
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 16, 2020
Observation date: Aug 07, 2020
Submitted by: lantana
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 15, 2020
Observation date: Jun 23, 2020
Submitted by: kristenej
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 15, 2020
Observation date: Aug 03, 2019
Submitted by: Niayre
Region: Cobb County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 15, 2020
Observation date: Jul 01, 2020
Submitted by: kristenej
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 15, 2020
Observation date: Jul 01, 2020
Submitted by: kristenej
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 15, 2020
Observation date: Aug 09, 2020
Submitted by: Niayre
Region: Cobb County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 14, 2020
Observation date: Aug 12, 2020
Submitted by: Dallasyork97
Region: Georgia, Walker County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 14, 2020
Observation date: Aug 11, 2020
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 12, 2020
Observation date: Aug 08, 2020
Submitted by: crandal
Region: Summit County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 09, 2020
Observation date: Aug 07, 2020
Submitted by: djarrow
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 08, 2020
Observation date: Aug 02, 2020
Submitted by: djarrow
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 06, 2020
Observation date: Jul 29, 2020
Submitted by: GCSnelling
Region: Craighead County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 02, 2020
Observation date: Jul 31, 2020
Submitted by: amparrish15
Region: McHenry County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 01, 2020
Observation date: Jul 05, 2020
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 28, 2020
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