Polites themistocles

• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Notes

Common Names

Description

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

Habitat

Moist grassy areas including prairie swales , pastures, lawns, roadsides, and vacant lots .

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 1,968 meters (0 to 6,457 feet).Mean = 280.280 meters (919.554 feet), Standard Deviation = 298.470 based on 536 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre.

Biology

Diet

Caterpillar hosts: Panic grasses (Panicum), slender crabgrass (Digitaria filiformis), and bluegrass (Poa pratensis). Adult food: Nectar from flowers including alfalfa, red clover, dogbane, shrub houstonia, purple coneflower, thistles, and chicory.

Reproduction

To await receptive females, males perch all day in grassy valley bottoms and swales . Females lay eggs singly on or near the host plant. Caterpillars feed on leaves and live in shelters of tied leaves. Chrysalids hibernate.

Behavior

Flight: One brood from June-July in the north, two broods from April-September from New York south, several broods throughout the year in Florida.

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms

1. Polites themistocles (Latreille 1824)
2. Polites themistocles (Latreille, [1824])

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Similar Species

Members of the genus Polites

There are approximately 76 species in this genus:

P. ahaton · P. alcina · P. amadis · P. baracoa (Baracoa Skipper) · P. bittiae · P. brettoides · P. brettus · P. calla · P. carus (Carus Skipper) · P. catilina · P. cernes · P. chispa · P. chusca · P. clara · P. combinata · P. comstocki · P. coras (Peck's Skipper) · P. dacotah · P. dictynna · P. draco (Draco Skipper) · P. enys · P. genoa · P. golenia · P. hypozona · P. loma · P. lumida · P. manataaqua · P. mardon (Mardon Skipper) · P. mardon klamathensis (Mardon Skipper) · P. mardon mardon (Mardon Skipper) · P. margaretae · P. margarita · P. morganta · P. mystic · P. mystic mystic · P. myus · P. nubs · P. origenes · P. origenes rhena (Rhena Skipper) · P. origines · P. pallida · P. peckius · P. phocion · P. phormio · P. praeceps · P. rhena · P. rhesus (Rhesus Skipper) · P. sabuleti (Sandhill Skipper) · P. sabuleti albamontana (White Mountain Skipper) · P. sabuleti alkaliensis · P. sabuleti basinensis · P. sabuleti channelensis (Sandhill Skipper) · P. sabuleti genoa · P. sabuleti ministigma (Sandhill Skipper) · P. sabuleti nigrescens (Dark Sandhill Skipper) · P. sabuleti sinemaculata (Bleached Sandhill Skipper) · P. sabuleti tecumseh (Tecumseh Skipper) · P. siris · P. sonora (Sonora Skipper) · P. sonora flavaventris (Sonora Skipper) · P. sonora longinqua (Sonora Skipper) · P. sonora siris (Dog Star Skipper) · P. stigma · P. sulfurina · P. taumas · P. tecumseh · P. themistocles (Tawny-Edged Skipper) · P. turneri · P. unna · P. utahensis · P. vibex (Whirlabout) · P. vibex catilina · P. wamsutta · P. weetamo · P. wingina · P. zenckei

More Info

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• Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books

Notes

Contributors

• Bisby FA, Roskov YR, Orrell TM, Nicolson D, Paglinawan LE, Bailly N, Kirk PM, Bourgoin T, van Hertum J, eds (2008). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist Taxonomic Classification. CD-ROM; Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2005. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [http://sn2000.taxonomy.nl/Taxonomicon/]. Access date: Nov 23, 2005
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 26, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 2 providers.
• LepIndex: The Global Lepidoptera Names Index
• MBLWHOI Library: Universal Biological Index and Organizer. uBio.org accessed July 18, 2008.
• Opler, Paul A., Harry Pavulaan, Ray E. Stanford, Michael Pogue, coordinators. Butterflies and Moths of North America. Bozeman, MT: Mountain Prairie Information Node. March 26, 2007.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 26, 2008:

• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Alan Wormington Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Atlantic Forestry Centre Insect Reference Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Butterflies and Skippers of Alberta Project
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Canadian National Collection (CNC) of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Crispin S. Guppy Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Donald F. Hooper Butterfly collection, Canada
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Gerald Hilchie Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Jeff Ogden Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Lepidopterists Society Season Summaries 1973-1997
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Lyman Entomological Museum
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: M. Gollop Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: McMaster University Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: New Brunswick Museum Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Norbert Kondla Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Northern Forestry Centre Arthropod Collection, Edmonton
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, Subenacadie, NS, Canada
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, Halifax, NS, Canada
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Point Pelee National Park Collection, Canada
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Provincial Museum of Alberta
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: R. Curry Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Ross A. Layberry Observations
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Royal British Columbia Museum Entomology Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Royal Ontario Museum: Entomology
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Royal Saskatchewan Museum Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: University of Guelph, Department of Environmental Biology
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: University of Saskatchewan
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: University of Western Ontario Collection
• Illinois Natural History Survey

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2602515
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Lep-186834.0
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 591682
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: IILEP66060
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 171611

Footnotes

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