Sachem
Atalopedes campestris (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside of male is yellow-orange with a wide brown border and a large squarish black stigma. Female upperside varies from yellow-brown to very dark brown, but always has a square transparent white spot at the end of the forewing cell. Underside of female hindwing is brown with nearly square cream or white spots.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 5/8 inches (3.2 - 4.2 cm).
Life History: Males perch on or near the ground during most of the day to wait for receptive females. Females lay single eggs on dry grass blades in the afternoon. Caterpillars feed on leaves and live at the base of grasses in shelters of rolled or tied leaves.
Flight: Three broods from May-November in the north; four to five broods from March-December in the Deep South.
Caterpillar Hosts: Grasses including Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), crabgrass (Digitaria), St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), and goosegrass (Eleusine).
Adult Food: Nectar from many flowers including swamp and common milkweeds, buttonbush, dogbane, peppermint, red clover, tickseed sunflower, thistles, New York ironweed, marigold, and asters.
Habitat: Disturbed, open areas such as roadsides, landfills, pastures, meadows, fencerows, yards, parks, and lawns.
Range: Southern United States from Virginia west to California; south through Mexico and Central America to Brazil. Strays and colonizes north to central North Dakota, southern Michigan, Manitoba, and northern Pennsylvania.
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 1 - 24 of 4135 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 08, 2022
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Botetourt County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 24, 2024
Observation date: Aug 14, 2022
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 24, 2024
Observation date: Aug 17, 2022
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
Observation date: Jun 30, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
Observation date: Aug 05, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
Observation date: Jul 11, 2022
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
Observation date: Jul 18, 2022
Submitted by: HCGregory
Region: Albemarle County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
Observation date: Aug 21, 2022
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
Observation date: Oct 01, 2022
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
Observation date: Nov 05, 2022
Submitted by: Chrysanthemum
Region: Albemarle County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
Observation date: Aug 10, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
Observation date: Aug 01, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
Observation date: Aug 06, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
Observation date: Aug 22, 2023
Submitted by: CarolMoth
Region: Fairfax County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
Observation date: Sep 15, 2023
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
Observation date: Nov 07, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Schena
Region: Virginia, Winchester, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
Observation date: Oct 16, 2023
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 13, 2024
Observation date: May 02, 2024
Submitted by: sgensits
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 02, 2024
Observation date: Apr 28, 2024
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: May 01, 2024
Observation date: Sep 29, 2016
Submitted by: B. Newhouse
Region: Lane County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 27, 2024
Observation date: Apr 06, 2024
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Scott County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 24, 2024
Observation date: Aug 07, 2012
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Apr 15, 2024
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Apr 11, 2024
Observation date: Oct 16, 2023
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 01, 2024
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