Zabulon Skipper
Poanes zabulon (Boisduval & Leconte, [1837])
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Male black borders and no stigma. Underside of hindwing is mostly yellow with a dark brown wingbase and outer margin. Female: Upperside is purple-brown with pale yellow spots; underside of hindwing is brown and purple-gray with a white-edged costal margin.
Wing Span: 1 3/8 - 1 5/8 inches (3.5 - 4.2 cm).
Life History: Males perch in sunlit openings or edges on leaves about 3-5 feet above the ground. They appear to defend their territory and may keep a perch for up to a week. Courtship usually occurs in the afternoon. Females lay eggs singly under the host leaves. Caterpillars feed on leaves and make shelters of silk-tied leaves.
Flight: Two broods from May-September in the north; several broods all year in the tropical highlands.
Caterpillar Hosts: Grasses including lovegrass (Eragrostis), purpletop (Tridens), bluegrass (Poa), wheatgrass (Agropyron), orchardgrass (Dactylis), wildrye (Elymus), and bentgrass (Agrostis).
Adult Food: Nectar from a variety of flowers including the exotics Japanese honeysuckle, red clover, everlasting pea, and selfheal; and the natives blackberry, purple vetch, common milkweed, buttonbush, joe-pye weed, and thistles.
Habitat: Brushy openings near moist forests and streams.
Range: Massachusetts west through southern Michigan to central Kansas; south to central Florida, southern Louisiana, and northeast Texas. Strays to New Mexico, South Dakota, and southern Quebec. A separate population ranges from central Mexico south to Panama.
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 2582 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 18, 2024
Submitted by: Chet Gottfried
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 21, 2024
Observation date: Aug 18, 2024
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2024
Observation date: Aug 11, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 16, 2024
Observation date: Aug 15, 2024
Submitted by: Bob_1948
Region: Delaware County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 15, 2024
Observation date: Aug 14, 2024
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 14, 2024
Observation date: Sep 06, 2016
Submitted by: D. Dodd
Region: Stafford County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 14, 2024
Observation date: Aug 13, 2024
Submitted by: regina rochefort
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 13, 2024
Observation date: Aug 12, 2024
Submitted by: heather-russell
Region: Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 13, 2024
Observation date: Aug 01, 2024
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Aug 12, 2024
Observation date: Aug 04, 2024
Submitted by: Chet Gottfried
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 09, 2024
Observation date: Aug 06, 2024
Submitted by: Bob Bouman
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 07, 2024
Observation date: Jul 29, 2024
Submitted by: Benjamin Miller
Region: Knox County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 07, 2024
Observation date: Aug 05, 2024
Submitted by: CLRBAC
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 07, 2024
Observation date: Jul 16, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Lucas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 06, 2024
Observation date: Aug 06, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 06, 2024
Observation date: Jul 31, 2024
Submitted by: J Tinsman
Region: Preston County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 05, 2024
Observation date: Jul 30, 2024
Submitted by: vvryabyy
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 31, 2024
Observation date: Jul 27, 2024
Submitted by: cp2023
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 28, 2024
Observation date: Jul 26, 2024
Submitted by: tedzimmerman
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 26, 2024
Observation date: Jul 23, 2024
Submitted by: sam25o
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 26, 2024
Observation date: Jul 14, 2024
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Hamilton County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 24, 2024
Observation date: Jul 22, 2024
Submitted by: Plazmakat
Region: Stark County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 24, 2024
Observation date: Jul 20, 2024
Submitted by: Lydiaak
Region: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 21, 2024
Observation date: Jun 12, 2024
Submitted by: Doug DeNeve
Region: Chatham County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 27, 2024
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