hobomok skipper | skymeadows

hobomok skipper (Poanes hobomok)

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.

FAMILY: Skippers (Hesperiidae)
SUBFAMILY: Grass Skippers (Hesperiinae)

IDENTIFICATION: Wings are rounded. Upperside of male is yellow-
orange with irregular black borders and no stigma; underside of
hindwing has purple-gray on the inner margin. Female has 2 forms:
Upperside of normal form is duller and has less orange than the male;
underside of hindwing is orange with purple-gray at the inner margin.
Upperside of "pocahontas" form is purple-black with some dull white
spots on the forewing; underside is purple-black with the pattern
obscured.

LIFE HISTORY: To await receptive females, males perch about 6 feet
above ground on vegetation in woodland clearings. Females deposit
eggs singly on or near the host grass leaves, which are eaten by the
caterpillars.

FLIGHT: One brood from April-July.

WING SPAN: 1 - 1 11/16 inches (2.5 - 4.3 cm).

CATERPILLAR HOSTS: Various grasses including panic grasses (Panicum)
and bluegrasses (Poa).

ADULT FOOD: Nectar from flowers including common milkweed, henbit,
viper's bugloss, and blackberry.

HABITAT: Openings and edges of damp woods, edges of bogs, light gaps
along streams, city parks.

RANGE: Nova Scotia west across southern Canada to central Alberta;
south to New Jersey, northern Georgia, Arkansas, central Kansas, and
eastern Oklahoma. An isolated population ranges from central Colorado
to northern New Mexico.

CONSERVATION: Not usually required.

NATURESERVE GLOBAL STATUS: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally,
though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the
periphery.

MANAGEMENT NEEDS: None reported.

SKY MEADOWS OCCURRENCE:

Note: Due to seasonal conditions in this region, occurrence may vary from

year to year. The designation of occurrence may range over two or more

categories and may vary even during a single season.

Key to Checklist

A   Abundant: Easy to see very large numbers of individuals in appropriate habitat
      at proper time of year.
C   Common: Usually each to see good numbers of individuals in appropriate habitat
      at proper time of year.
U   Uncommon: Sometimes found in appropriate habitat and proper time of year,
      usually in low numbers.
O   Occasional: Found in appropriate habitat perhaps only a few times a year, usually
      in low numbers.
R   Rare: Small chance of being found, even in appropriate habitat at proper time of
      year. There are few individuals and may not be present every year.
X   Extirpated: Formerly present, no longer occurs in Sky Meadows Park.