Ottoe Skipper
Hesperia ottoe W.H. Edwards, 1866
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside is bright brownish orange; male has narrow black edging on the outer margins of both wings, female is brighter with diffuse borders. Stigma on male forewing has black or gray felt. Underside of hindwing is yellow-orange; no markings in the male, sometimes with faint markings in the female.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 11/16 inches (3.2 - 4.3 cm).
Life History: Adults are strong fliers. Males perch near the host plants all day to wait for receptive females. Eggs are laid singly at the base of a grass stem. In Minnesota eggs may be laid on the flowers of Echinacea angustifolia; the young caterpillars must drop off the flower and find a host plant to eat. Caterpillars live in a nest of leaves tied with silk, and fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: One brood from June-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Fall witchgrass (Leptoloma cognatum), little bluestem (Andropogon scoparius), and other grasses.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of green and common milkweeds, yellow prickly pear, vetch, alfalfa, bush houstonia, purple coneflower, leadplant, compassplant, sunflower, and blazing star.
Habitat: Native tall-grass prairie.
Range: Southern Manitoba and eastern Montana south along the high plains to north Texas; east through Nebraska and Kansas to central Illinois and southwest Michigan.
Conservation: Conversion of tall-grass prairie to agricultural use has greatly reduced the habitat and numbers of the Ottoe Skipper.
NCGR: G3 - Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range (21 to 100 occurrences). (Threatened throughout its range).
Management Needs: Populations of this skipper should be conserved wherever found. Care should be taken in habitat management. Use of fire as a tool should be discouraged.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 181 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 26, 2012
Submitted by: prbjork
Region: Haakon County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 25, 2023
Observation date: Aug 12, 2022
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Sep 25, 2022
Observation date: Jun 25, 2021
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Harvey County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 07, 2022
Observation date: Aug 04, 2019
Submitted by: Littlewing
Region: Crawford County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: azukoff
Verified date: Apr 06, 2022
Observation date: Jul 18, 2021
Submitted by: dave mcelveen
Region: Custer County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Oct 07, 2021
Observation date: Jul 28, 2021
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 10, 2021
Observation date: Aug 19, 2021
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Alfalfa County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 31, 2021
Observation date: Jul 03, 2020
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: Laramie County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 17, 2021
Observation date: Aug 27, 2020
Submitted by: appletree
Region: Custer County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Oct 08, 2020
Observation date: Aug 27, 2020
Submitted by: appletree
Region: Custer County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 17, 2020
Observation date: Jun 20, 2012
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Mar 27, 2019
Observation date: Jun 27, 2017
Submitted by: MTmariposa
Region: Richland County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Jun 19, 2018
Observation date: Jun 13, 2016
Submitted by: Martin Reid
Region: Texas, Lipscomb County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 15, 2016
Observation date: Jul 13, 2015
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 14, 2015
Observation date: Jul 16, 2014
Submitted by: Doug Backlund
Region: Stanley County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 23, 2014
Observation date: Jun 22, 2014
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 06, 2014
Observation date: Jul 15, 2012
Submitted by: silkakempema (Gary Marrone)
Region: Stanley County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: silkakempema
Verified date: Nov 08, 2013
Observation date: Aug 01, 2011
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Aug 09, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BAMONA
Region:
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010
Observation date: Jul 30, 2009
Submitted by: SusanLouise (Susan Louise Whitney)
Region: Lancaster County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Sep 24, 2009
Observation date: Aug 12, 2003
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Fisher, John)
Region: Osage County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Nelson, John M.)
Verified date: Apr 03, 2009
Observation date: Jun 29, 2002
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Gerard, Walter)
Region: Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Nelson, John M.)
Verified date: Apr 03, 2009
Observation date: Jun 01, 2004
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Nelson, John M. & Edwards, David & Fisher, John)
Region: Ellis County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Nelson, John M.)
Verified date: Apr 03, 2009
Observation date: Jul 14, 2005
Submitted by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Region: Richland County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Verified date: Jan 23, 2008
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