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Hobomok Skipper- Poanes hobomok

 

Classification

 Kingdom: Animalia
 Phylum: Arthropoda
 Class: Insecta
 Order: Lepidoptera
 Family: Hesperiidae
 Genus: Poanes

Description

Hobomok Skipper

The Hobomok skipper has a wingspan of 1 to 1.75 inches. It has rounded wings. The uppersides of the male's wings are orange with irregular dark brown borders. The underside of the hindwing has a gold band. The female has two forms. The uppersides of her wings can have less orange and the orange is duller. The other form of the female is called the Pocahontas form. In the Pocahontas form, the female's uppersides are a dark brown with cream spots on the forewings. In both female forms, the underside of the hindwing has a slight purplish tint at the outer edge.

Range

In North America, the Hobomok skipper is found from Alberta, Canada east to Nova Scotia, Canada and south to Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The Hobomok skipper is found in New Hampshire.

Habitat

The Hobomok skipper is found in areas including woodland edges, fields, bogs, and the edges of streams.

Diet

The Hobomok skipper caterpillar eats a variety of grasses, including panic grasses and bluegrasses. The adult Hobomok skipper eats nectar from flowers including common milkweed, red clover, cow vetch henbit, viper's bugloss, and blackberry.

Life Cycle

The female Hobomok skipper lays single eggs on the leaves of a host grass plant. There is one brood a year.

Behavior

The Hobomok skipper is a strong flyer and takes off quickly when startled.