Summary ⁵

The Northern Broken Dash (Wallengrenia egeremet) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family, subfamily Hesperiinae. Adults have a slow flight. Males perch up to 6 feet above ground to wait for females, usually in the early morning. Caterpillars eat leaves; half-grown caterpillars hibernate.

It is found from southern Maine and southern Ontario, west across the Great Lakes states to south-eastern North Dakota, south to central Florida, the Gulf Coast and south-eastern Texas.

Description ⁶

Upper side is dark brown. Male forewing has a cream spot at the end of the cell, and a divided stigma (the "broken dash"); female forewing has a few elongated cream spots. Underside is dark brown or purple-brown; hind wing has a pale band of spots.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/2 inches (2.5 - 3.9 cm). (http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Wallengrenia-egeremet)

Larval Description ⁶

head chocolate brown. Body pale green to brown mottled with darker and some paler markings and with a dark stripe down the back; sides obscurely striped in yellow and green. (http://www.massaudubon.org/learn/nature-wildlife/insects-arachnids/butterflies/find-a-butterfly/%28id%29/59)

Larval Host Plants ⁶

Panic grasses, especially larger species: Deer Tongue Grass (Panicum clandestinum) and P. dichotomum. (http://www.massaudubon.org/learn/nature-wildlife/insects-arachnids/butterflies/find-a-butterfly/%28id%29/59)

GTM Occurrence ⁶

The Northern Broken-Dash is considered an uncommon species at the GTM. Most observations are in the open habitat along Transect A. It occurs in all of the forest transects being most common in the Glasswort Loop (Transect C) and the Red Bay Walk (Transect D). Adults were observed in May and August to October with most sightings in August and September. There have been 24 specimens observed as of December 28, 2015.

Distribution ⁵

It is found from southern Maine and southern Ontario, west across the Great Lakes states to south-eastern North Dakota, south to central Florida, the Gulf Coast and south-eastern Texas.

Habitat ⁷

Generally grassy woodlands or disturbances or right of ways on dry to mesic soils. Also more open habitats such as around airports. May be closely associated with a particular grass in a given region, for example Panicum virgatum in southern New Jersey. Opler (1999) indicates "city parks" but probably not constantly mowed parts.

Nature serve conservation status ⁸

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Sources and Credits

1. (c) summerazure, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/45351814@N07/7613483816/
2. (c) pondhawk, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/38686613@N08/4747768216/
3. (c) summerazure, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/45351814@N07/7612327440/
4. (c) pondhawk, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/38686613@N08/4747126587/
5. Adapted by GTMResearchReserve from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallengrenia_egeremet
6. (c) GTMResearchReserve, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
7. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28821104
8. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28821098

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• CUIC Insect Images
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants

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