Sierra Skipper
Hesperia miriamae MacNeill, 1959
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Live individuals have a blue sheen above and below. Upperside is yellow-orange. Forewing has a diffuse dark border and large pale spots near the tip. Underside is gray with yellow-orange at the base of the forewing and large rectangular white spots on the hindwing.
Wing Span: 1 1/8 - 1 1/4 inches (2.9 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: To watch for receptive females, males perch on top of hills or ridges all day. Females lay eggs on the host grass. Caterpillars live in silken tubes at the base of grass clumps and feed on grass leaves nearby; then overwinter in partially-buried shelters.
Flight: One brood from July-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Perhaps alpine fescue (Festuca brachyphylla).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Rocky alpine tundra from 11,000-14,000 feet.
Range: The Sierra Nevada from Tuolumne County to Inyo County, California; White Mountains of eastern California and western Nevada.
Conservation: Populations should be monitored and threats, if any, identified.
NCGR: G2 - Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 to 20 occurrences), or because of other factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range. (Endangered throughout its range).
Management Needs:
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 43 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 05, 2017
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 10, 2023
Observation date: Jul 21, 1981
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (George T. Austin)
Region: Esmeralda County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Aug 05, 1980
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (unknown)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: Jul 28, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jim Snyder)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BAMONA
Region:
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010
Observation date: Jul 01, 1979
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (W. McGuire)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Aug 08, 1966
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Derham Giuliani)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Aug 08, 1966
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Derham Giuliani)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Jul 03, 1979
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (W. McGuire)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Aug 10, 1980
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Derham Giuliani)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Jul 15, 1979
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (O. Shields, W. McGuire)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Aug 11, 1980
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Derham Giuliani)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Aug 08, 1980
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Derham Giuliani)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Jul 24, 1975
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. D. MacNeill)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Aug 12, 1980
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Derham Giuliani)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Jul 19, 1979
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (O. Shields, W. McGuire)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Jul 28, 1978
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (W. W. McGuire)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Jul 11, 1980
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Derham Giuliani)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Aug 03, 1968
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (James Scott)
Region: Fresno County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Aug 11, 1957
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. D. MacNeill)
Region: Inyo County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (William H. Howe)
Verified date: Dec 17, 2009
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (John R. Heitzman)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (William H. Howe)
Verified date: Dec 17, 2009
Observation date: Aug 23, 1958
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Oakley Shields)
Region: Tuolumne County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Garth & Tilden)
Verified date: Oct 19, 2009
Observation date: Jul 27, 1959
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Oakley Shields)
Region: Tuolumne County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Garth & Tilden)
Verified date: Oct 19, 2009
Observation date: Jul 26, 1958
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Oakley Shields)
Region: Tuolumne County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Garth & Tilden)
Verified date: Oct 19, 2009
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