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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 25 - 48 of 2562 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/better_also_zabulon.jpg?itok=rxj1YojF)
Observation date: Aug 21, 2023
Submitted by: Quyen Edwards
Region: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jan 17, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_4005-a.jpg?itok=DIGmqS2q)
Observation date: Dec 26, 2023
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jan 01, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20230905_poanes_zabulon_-_ogden_dunes_unit_in.jpg?itok=RIVkakv4)
Observation date: Sep 05, 2023
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Porter County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 12, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20230912_poanes_zabulon_nectaring_on_cirsium_discolor_-_fawn_river_np_orland_in_1.jpg?itok=3aG7pjIR)
Observation date: Sep 12, 2023
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 21, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/butterfly_sep_7_1206_pm.jpg?itok=v8oIVfNr)
Observation date: Sep 07, 2023
Submitted by: SusanPotomac
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 22, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2p4a0191.jpg?itok=7GN9cZWs)
Observation date: Sep 03, 2023
Submitted by: vogelbild
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 22, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc07812_1.jpg?itok=NXeDjxfq)
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: chherrmann
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 05, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc07849_5.jpg?itok=Jlb0kEhE)
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: chherrmann
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 05, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p9010045-2.jpg?itok=s3Btuhl7)
Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: cp2023
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 04, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2cf1ca22-2b04-4fb9-8655-26cdb4b23f4c.jpeg?itok=2R7YaV4S)
Observation date: Aug 30, 2023
Submitted by: Smalltowngirl
Region: Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1050299.jpg?itok=C-Y1ssEf)
Observation date: Aug 27, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/zabulon_skipper_butterfly_at_home_aug_21_2023_11-38_am_1.jpg?itok=ou1N4kD8)
Observation date: Aug 28, 2023
Submitted by: Ed Buchs
Region: Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 28, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn0787_0.jpg?itok=OQX02ugo)
Observation date: Aug 17, 2023
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Aug 28, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/zabulon_skipper_-_.jpg?itok=DIT0-USh)
Observation date: Aug 24, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 27, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_3631_1.jpeg?itok=hUDGuP55)
Observation date: Aug 25, 2023
Submitted by: ships333
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/zebulon_joe.jpg?itok=rRyikNfz)
Observation date: Aug 18, 2023
Submitted by: cjablonski
Region: McHenry County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 24, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/usa_-_little_glassywing_vernia_verna_1.jpeg?itok=-v9KXNhL)
Observation date: Aug 15, 2023
Submitted by: Martin Neil UK
Region: Maury County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 23, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_9155-denoiseai-raw.jpg?itok=DYoCyrzq)
Observation date: Aug 22, 2023
Submitted by: tedzimmerman
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1050218.jpg?itok=HE7xRwbk)
Observation date: Aug 20, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1050215.jpg?itok=KljpGMWE)
Observation date: Aug 20, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_2195.jpeg?itok=b2Qntq8Z)
Observation date: Apr 29, 2022
Submitted by: Rick Sinnott
Region: Catoosa County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/a1998-ms-zabulon-skip-20aug2023.jpg?itok=tID57xKn)
Observation date: Aug 20, 2023
Submitted by: Chet Gottfried
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 20, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_2265.jpeg?itok=0OQ5VGG9)
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: wuebber60
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 20, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/skipper_leahy2.jpg?itok=UwQqWxym)
Observation date: Aug 18, 2023
Submitted by: cjablonski
Region: McHenry County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 19, 2023
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