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Polites mystic

(Long Dash)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Long Dash

Description

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Family Hesperiidae

'The Hesperiidae are members of the Superfamily Hesperioidea. Worldwide in distribution, skippers are richest in the tropics. More than 3,500 species are described, with approximately 275 in North America, many of which are found only in Arizona and Texas. Most skippers are small to medium, usually orange, brown, black, white, or gray. A few have iridescent colors. Skippers have large eyes, short antennae (often with hooked clubs), stout bodies, and three pairs of walking legs . Their flight is often rapid, making wing movement appear blurred. Adults of most species have long probicscises and feed on floral nectar, but some also take up nutrients from bird droppings. Males have scent scales found in modified forewing patches. Males of most species locate mates by perching (grass and giant-skippers), though some patrol, especially in the open-winged skippers. Globular eggs are laid singly.

'[1]

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 .[2]

Physical Description

Species Polites mystic

Upperside is dark brown with reddish to yellowish orange markings. Forewing of female has a broad black patch at the base ; male forewing has a long, slightly curved stigma which may be connected to the dash near the apex (creating a "long dash"). Underside of hindwing is orange-brown with a curved band of equal-sized yellow spots. (ref. 105068)

Size/Age/Growth

Wing span : 1 1/8 - 1 1/2 inches (2.9 - 3.8 cm). (ref. 105068)

Habitat

This is a species of open wetlands, but it can and does range into adjacent uplands (fields ). The sites in NC are a wet meadow/bog complex , which is the preferred habitat type in states to our north, and a marshy pond margin . (ref. 104737)

Open, moist areas including meadows, marshes, streamsides, wood edges , and prairie swales . (ref. 105068)

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 1,931 meters (0 to 6,335 feet).[3]

Biology

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Diet

The primary food plants are grasses; bluegrasses (Poa) have been mentioned in the literature. One individual in NC was seen nectaring on a wild azalea, though it is expected to nectar on milkweeds and a great variety of other species (such as red clover). (ref. 104737)

Caterpillar hosts: Bluegrasses (Poa species). (ref. 105068)

Adult food: Nectar from flowers including common milkweed, selfheal, mountain laurel, and tick trefoil. (ref. 105068)

Behavior

Flight period: A single brood, in early summer; in NC from late May to very early July. The flight in 2007 was about two weeks earlier than that in 2006, thanks to a warm spring season . (ref. 104737)

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Polites

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 26 species and subspecies in this genus:

P. baracoa (Baracoa Skipper) · P. carus (Carus Skipper) · P. coras (Peck's Skipper) · P. draco (Draco Skipper) · P. mardon (Mardon Skipper) · P. mardon klamathensis (Mardon Skipper) · P. mardon mardon (Mardon Skipper) · P. mystic (Long Dash) · P. mystic mystic (Long Dash) · P. origenes (Crossline Skipper) · P. origenes rhena (Rhena Skipper) · P. peckius (Peck's Skipper) · P. rhesus (Rhesus Skipper) · P. sabuleti (Sandhill Skipper) · P. sabuleti albamontana (White Mountain Skipper) · P. sabuleti channelensis (Sandhill Skipper) · P. sabuleti ministigma (Sandhill Skipper) · P. sabuleti nigrescens (Dark Sandhill Skipper) · P. sabuleti sinemaculata (Bleached Sandhill Skipper) · P. sabuleti tecumseh (Tecumseh Skipper) · P. sonora (Sonora Skipper) · P. sonora flavaventris (Sonora Skipper) · P. sonora longinqua (Sonora Skipper) · P. sonora siris (Dog Star Skipper) · P. themistocles (Tawny-Edged Skipper) · P. vibex (Whirlabout)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 26, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/taxonomy?f=19&sci=Hesperiidae&com=Skippers [back]
  2. http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Stinga&search=Search [back]
  3. Mean = 285.460 meters (936.549 feet), Standard Deviation = 320.640 based on 662 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 7/23/2012