Indian Skipper
Hesperia sassacus Harris, 1862
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside is yellow-orange with well-defined black markings. Black border of the hindwing is often toothed. Underside of hindwing is yellow-orange with a band of yellow spots that barely contrasts with the background.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 3/8 inches (3.2 - 3.5 cm).
Life History: Males perch all day to await receptive females. Caterpillars live in silken tubes at the base of grass clumps and leave them to feed. Older caterpillars overwinter and in the spring pupate in a loose cocoon.
Flight: One brood from May-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various grasses including little bluestem (Andropogon scoparius), panic grass (Panicum), and red fescue (Festuca rubra).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including blackberry, henbit, lithospermum, phlox, and viper's bugloss.
Habitat: Old brushy fields, pastures, clearings, headlands.
Range: Maine west across southern Ontario to southeast Manitoba and Minnesota; south to western North Carolina, southern Ohio, and northern Indiana.
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.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 966 verified sightings
Observation date: May 29, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 09, 2024
Observation date: Jun 16, 2024
Submitted by: tjunderwood
Region: Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 20, 2024
Observation date: Jun 11, 2024
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 11, 2024
Observation date: Jun 05, 2024
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 05, 2024
Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
Observation date: Jun 03, 2023
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 04, 2023
Observation date: Jun 10, 2021
Submitted by: lizmcd
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 07, 2023
Observation date: Jun 10, 2022
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Benzie County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 04, 2022
Submitted by: beastbreath
Region: Saginaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 31, 2022
Observation date: Jun 19, 2022
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 09, 2022
Observation date: Jun 14, 2022
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 15, 2022
Observation date: Jun 10, 2022
Submitted by: rhedden
Region: Rensselaer County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 11, 2022
Observation date: Jun 10, 2022
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 11, 2022
Observation date: Jun 03, 2022
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 04, 2022
Observation date: Jul 09, 2016
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
Observation date: Jun 18, 2021
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Lake County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Aug 07, 2021
Observation date: Jun 19, 2021
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Lake County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Aug 07, 2021
Observation date: Jun 29, 2021
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Pendleton County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 12, 2021
Observation date: Jun 24, 2021
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Pendleton County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 12, 2021
Observation date: Jun 19, 2021
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Lake County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jun 20, 2021
Observation date: Jun 01, 2021
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Clay County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 12, 2021
Observation date: Jun 05, 2021
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Clarion County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 06, 2021
Observation date: May 30, 2021
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Gratiot County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jun 02, 2021
Observation date: May 22, 2015
Submitted by: wade wander
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Jack Connor
Verified date: Feb 17, 2021
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