Polites peckius

Polites peckius, the Peck's skipper, is a North American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae (skippers), subfamily Hesperiinae (grass skippers). This skipper ranges across Canada from British Columbia, as far north as Cartwright, Labrador; Moar Lake, Ontario; Leaf Rapids, Manitoba; and the Hay River area in Alberta. In the US, it ranges in most of the northern and central states, except on the west coast.

Peck's skipper
Near Cincinnati, Ohio

Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Hesperiidae
Genus:
Polites
Species:
P. peckius
Binomial name
Polites peckius
W. Kirby, 1837

Description

Both sexes have dark brown and yellowish-orange markings as adults. Ventrally, both sexes have a large straw-coloured patch in the middle of the hindwing. This patch helps distinguish it from other Polites.[2] Males are lighter than females, and they have a stigma (round or oval mark) on the forewing.[3] Like other skippers, the ends of the antennae have tiny hooks. The wingspan ranges from 19 to 27 mm.

Behavior and life cycle

Peck's skipper flies from May to October, and produces two or three generations each year.[3] Adults consume nectar from flowers including red clover, purple vetch, and thistles. They typically live in grassy habitats including meadows, marshes, and roadsides. After mating, females lay single eggs. The caterpillars consume rice cutgrass, and likely bluegrass and other plants.[3]

References
  1. "NatureServe Explorer 2.0 Polites peckius Peck's Skipper". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  2. Peck's Skipper, Butterflies of Canada
  3. "Peck's Skipper Polites peckius (W. Kirby, 1837) | Butterflies and Moths of North America". www.butterfliesandmoths.org. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
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