Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Draco Skipper
Polites draco (W.H. Edwards, 1871)


Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside of male is dark brown with reddish-orange markings; forewing with a short black stigma. Reddish-orange bar opposite the hindwing cell is longer than the other bars. Female is similar but lacks a stigma and has lighter colored markings. Underside of both sexes is brown with a greenish tint and cream spots, and has the upperside markings repeated. Veins are the same color as the wing and there are dark dots at the vein ends.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: To await receptive females, males perch in low grassy spots all day.
Flight: One brood from June-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Grasses.
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Grassy, high elevation meadows.
Range: Yukon Territory, British Columbia, and Alberta south through the Rocky Mountains of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. There is one record for Nevada.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Get your BAMONA Gear!

Hoodies and t-shirts in two designs!


Advertise with us!

Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.