Peck's Skipper
Polites peckius
On the underside of their hindwings, they have a distinctive pattern of yellow spots that resembles a tiny, smiling face or a patch of sunlight.
- Scientific name
- Polites peckius
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Hesperiidae › Polites
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Grassy meadows, lawns, roadsides, pastures, and urban parks.
- Diet
- Caterpillars feed on grasses (especially Kentucky bluegrass); adults drink nectar from flowers like red clover, milkweed, and thistles.
- Range
- North America, United States, Canada
- Size
- Wingspan of 2.5 to 3.2 cm (1.0 to 1.25 inches).
- Lifespan
- About 1 year (mostly spent as a caterpillar/pupa; adults live only 2-3 weeks).
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss due to intensive lawn mowing, urbanization, and pesticide or herbicide use.
- Safe to approach?
- Completely harmless. You can safely observe Peck's Skipper at close range in sunny meadows. They do not bite or sting. If one lands on you, it is likely seeking moisture or salts from your sweat; simply let it fly away naturally when it is ready.
Polites peckius , the Peck's skipper , is a North American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae (skippers), subfamily Hesperiinae (grass skippers). This skipper ranges across Canada from British Columbia, as far north as Cartwright, Labrador; Moar Lake, Ontario; Leaf Rapids, Manitoba; and the Hay River area in Alberta. In the US, it ranges in most of the northern and central states, except on the west coast.
Photo: Katja Schulz, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
Plain-text version: /species/3804ba71-242f-46d0-8f8d-831de5065e16.md