Summary ⁵

Atalopedes campestris (called the Sachem in the United States) is a small skipper in the subfamily Hesperiinae. It is just over 1 inch long and has orange-and-brown adults. Females are slightly larger and have paler markings on their wings compared to males.

Description ⁶

Male orange; forewing orange with brown border and large square black stigma; female brown often with some orange and a few central transparent spots; male ventral hindwing yellow-brown with darker spots; female ventral hindwing brown with angled postmedian band of pale spots.

Similar Species ⁶

No other male grass-skipper has the bold, square stigma of a Sachem. A worn male seen only from below may be puzzling if the square mark on HW edge is very faint or obscured by wear—so try to see that stigma.

Larval Host Plant ⁶

Various grasses including Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), crabgrass (Digitaria), St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), and goosegrass (Eleusine).

GTM Occurrence ⁶

The Sachem is considered a rare species at the GTM. Most observations are in the open habitat along Transect A and in the forest it was found only on the Glasswort Loop (Transect C). This is a summer species with most observations from June-September and a single specimen in November. Does not fly in all years. There have been 8 specimens observed as of December 28, 2015.

Habitat ⁷

Habitats are subtropical to transition zone dry grassland, especially weedy lawns and disturbed dry places. Adults commonly seen in gardens.

Nature serve conservation status ⁸

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Mary Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/38514062@N03/14019922646/
2. (c) Bill Bouton, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://butterfliesofamerica.com/images/Hesperiidae/Hesperiinae/Atalopedes_campestris_huron/Atalopedes_campestris_huron_F_USA_TEXAS_Cameron_Co._Laguna_Atascosa_NWR_28-X-2005_BOUTON.jpg
3. (c) d_robichaud, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/77552493@N02/19917940200/
4. (c) Mary Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/38514062@N03/9125838789/
5. Adapted by GTMResearchReserve from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atalopedes_campestris
6. (c) GTMResearchReserve, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
7. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28758878
8. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28758872

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• BugGuide
• Butterflies and Moths of North America
• CalPhotos
• CUIC Insect Images
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• Moth Photographers Group
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• Pacific Northwest Moths

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