Peck's Skipper
Polites peckius (W. Kirby, 1837)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Upperside of male is brown with reddish-orange patches; forewing has a sinuous stigma. Female is darker with no stigma. Underside of the hindwing of both sexes has a patch of large yellow spots in the center surrounded by dark brown.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: Males perch in sunny open areas to await receptive females, and courtship takes place throughout the day. Females lay eggs singly; caterpillars eat leaves and live in leaf shelters. Caterpillars and chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: Two to three broods from May-October.
Caterpillar Hosts: Rice cutgrass (Leersia oryzoides); probably bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and others.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including red clover, purple vetch, thistles, selfheal, New York ironweed, blue vervain, common milkweed, swamp milkweed, dogbane, and New Jersey tea.
Habitat: Many open grassy habitats including meadows, prairies, lawns, marshes, landfills, roadsides, vacant lots, and power line right-of-ways.
Range: British Columbia east across southern Canada to Nova Scotia; south to northeastern Oregon, southern Colorado, northwest Arkansas, and northern Georgia.
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 6368 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 20, 2024
Submitted by: ChelseaCarlson
Region: Putnam County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 20, 2024
Observation date: Jul 12, 2024
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 16, 2024
Observation date: Jun 28, 2024
Submitted by: mathgeek
Region: Jackson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 16, 2024
Observation date: Jul 05, 2024
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 13, 2024
Observation date: Jul 06, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 09, 2024
Observation date: Jun 10, 2024
Submitted by: DebraRade
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 29, 2024
Observation date: Jun 19, 2024
Submitted by: jwileyrains
Region: Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 19, 2024
Observation date: Jun 02, 2024
Submitted by: BeaLaporte
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 05, 2024
Observation date: Jul 15, 2022
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
Observation date: Jul 15, 2023
Submitted by: chherrmann
Region: Madison County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
Observation date: Mar 13, 2023
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 15, 2024
Observation date: May 05, 2023
Submitted by: Rick Sinnott
Region: Webster County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Mar 15, 2024
Observation date: Jul 24, 2021
Submitted by: terrymortier
Region: Burnett County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 11, 2024
Observation date: Jun 08, 2023
Submitted by: tmblok87
Region: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jan 17, 2024
Observation date: Sep 27, 2023
Submitted by: eattaway92
Region: Adair County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 15, 2024
Observation date: Oct 01, 2023
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Champaign County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 07, 2023
Observation date: Sep 28, 2023
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 28, 2023
Observation date: Sep 18, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 22, 2023
Observation date: Sep 21, 2023
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 22, 2023
Observation date: Sep 09, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 13, 2023
Observation date: Sep 05, 2023
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 05, 2023
Observation date: Aug 26, 2023
Submitted by: joanfiller
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 01, 2023
Observation date: Aug 26, 2023
Submitted by: RLS
Region: Monroe County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 27, 2023
Observation date: Aug 25, 2023
Submitted by: Slreitz1952
Region: Warren County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
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