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Poanes zabulon

(Zabulon Golden Skipper)

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Zabulon Golden Skipper, Zabulon Skipper

Description

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Subfamily Hesperiinae

The grass skippers are members of the Family Hesperiidae. Distributed worldwide, they comprise more than 2,000 species, most of which are found in the American tropics. The small to medium-sized adults usually have abruptly angled antennae with an apiculus at the tip . Adults of many temperate species are predominantly orange, while brown is the most common color of the tropical species. Male forewings usually have a brand or stigma with specialized scales . Most species have long proboscises and are avid flower-visitors. Adults flight is rapid, and perching posture is unique: the hindwings are opened at a wider angle than the forewings. Males of most species perch while looking for mates. Caterpillars feed on monocotyledons (grasses and allied plants ) and live in silken leaf nests that sometimes extend underground. Grass skippers typically overwinter as caterpillars within their shelters .

Physical Description

Color:

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.

Size/Age/Growth

Wing span : 1 3/8 - 1 5/8 inches (3.5 - 4.2 cm).

Habitat

Brushy openings near moist forests and streams .

Biology

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Diet

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.

Reproduction

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.

Behavior

Flight: Two broods from May-September in the north; several broods all year in the tropical highlands.

Taxonomy

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Unambiguous Synonyms

  1. Poanes zabulon (Boisduval and Leconte 1834)

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Poanes

There are approximately 38 species in this genus:

P. aaroni (Aaron's Skipper) · P. aaroni aaroni (Aaron's Skipper) · P. aaroni howardi (Howard's Skipper) · P. alfaratta · P. azin · P. baiva · P. benito · P. erratica · P. friedlei · P. hermocki · P. hobomok · P. hobomok hobomok (Hobomok Skipper) · P. hobomok wetona (Hobomok Skipper) · P. howardi · P. hughi · P. inimica · P. lupulina · P. massasoit · P. massasoit chermocki (Chermock's Mulberry Wing) · P. melane (Umber Skipper) · P. ogeechensis · P. pallida · P. piso · P. pocahontas · P. psaumis · P. quadaquina · P. richteri · P. ridingsii · P. rolla · P. suffusa · P. taxiles (Taxiles Skipper) · P. viator (Broad-Winged Skipper) · P. viator viator (Broad-Winged Skipper) · P. viator zizaniae (Broad-Winged Skipper) · P. yehl (Yehl Skipper) · P. zabulon (Zabulon Golden Skipper) · P. zachaeus · P. zizaniae

More Info

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 26, 2008:

Identifiers

Last Revised: 2008-11-04