Polites peckius

Geographic Range

Peck's skippers are found in the Nearctic range, and extend from Nova Scotia to British Columbia in southern Canada. Their range extends southward from northern Oregon, southern Colorado, northwest Arkansas, to northern Georgia. They are rare in the south.

• Biogeographic Regions
• nearctic nearctic
  • native native

Habitat

These grassland skippers prefer open areas with ample nectar sources, such as meadows, powerline right-of-ways, prairies, parks and vacant lots.

• Habitat Regions
• temperate temperate

• Terrestrial Biomes
• savanna or grassland savanna or grassland

• Other Habitat Features
• suburban suburban
• agricultural agricultural

Physical Description

Peck's skippers are also known as yellow patch skippers because of the light colored post median spot bands on the underside of the forewings. The central spot is elongated and extends out toward the wing margin. Males have a dark black stigma on the upper surface of the forewing that separates the orange margin from the darker portion of the wing. These are small skippers, with the forewing lengths of females averaging 1.3 cm (1.2-1.4 cm). Males are slightly smaller with forewing lengths of 1.2 cm (1.1-1.3 cm).

Larvae are deep maroon colored with light brown mottling. The head is black with two white vertical streaks on the upper front and two white patches below.

The eggs of Peck's skippers are cream colored and develop reddish mottling in irregular patterns.

The chrysalis is reddish purple with white wing cases.

• Other Physical Features
• ectothermic ectothermic
• heterothermic heterothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

• Sexual Dimorphism
• female larger
• sexes colored or patterned differently

Development

Peck's skippers have the ability to transform straight to the adult form of the next brood or slow down their growth and hibernate as 3rd, 4th, or 5th stage larvae. They are also reported to hibernate as pupae.

• Development - Life Cycle
• metamorphosis metamorphosis
• diapause diapause

Reproduction

Male Peck's skippers perch on low vegetation in sunny areas to await females. Courtship activities occur throughout the day. Mated pairs are observed mainly in the afternoon.

Peck's skippers have two broods in the north and three in the southern portion of their range. Females lay their eggs singly on appropriate substrate.

• Key Reproductive Features
• iteroparous iteroparous
• seasonal breeding seasonal breeding
• gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
• sexual sexual
• fertilization fertilization
  • internal internal
• oviparous oviparous

There is no parental care provided by butterflies.

• Parental Investment
• no parental involvement

Behavior

Peck's skippers have rapid flight and tend to stay close to the ground. They are often seen perching on grasses and sometimes exposed soil. Larvae live in leaf nests.

• Key Behaviors
• flies
• diurnal diurnal
• motile motile
• hibernation hibernation
• colonial colonial

Communication and Perception

Butterflies generally communicate through visual or pheremone recognition, or by tactile methods during courthship.

• Communication Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• chemical chemical

• Other Communication Modes
• pheromones pheromones

• Perception Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

The larvae feed primarilly on rice cutgrass ( Leersia oryzoides ) and bluegrass ( Poa pratensis ), although other grasses are probably used.

Adults have been recorded nectaring on clover ( Trifolium spp. ), alfalfa ( Medcago sativa ), winter cress ( Bararea vulgaris ), joe-pye weed ( Eupatorium maculatum ), teasel ( Dipsacus sylvestis ), thistle ( Cirsium spp. ), purple coneflower ( Echinacae purpurea ), ironweed ( Vernonia spp. ), and blazing star ( Liatris spicata ). They have also been seen sipping from mud and moist soil.

• Primary Diet
• herbivore herbivore
  • folivore folivore
  • nectarivore nectarivore

• Plant Foods
• leaves
• nectar

Predation

Predators of all life stages of butterflies include a variety of insect parasatoids. These wasps or flies will consume the body fluids first, and then eat the internal organs, ultimately killing the butterfly. Those wasps that lay eggs inside the host body include species in many different groups: Ichneumonidae , Braconidae , Pteromalidae , Chalcidoidea , Encyrtidae , Eulophidae , Scelionidae , Trichogrammatidae , and others. Trichogrammatids live inside the eggs, and are smaller than a pinhead. Certain flies ( Tachinidae , some Sarcophagidae , etc.) produce large eggs and glue them onto the outside of the host larva, where the hatching fly larvae then burrow into the butterfly larvae. Other flies will lays many small eggs directly on the larval hostplants, and these are ingested by the caterpillars as they feed.

Most predators of butterflies are other insects. Praying mantis , lacewings , ladybird beetles , assasin bugs , carabid beetles , spiders , ants , and wasps ( Vespidae , Pompilidae , and others) prey upon the larvae. Adult butterflies are eaten by robber flies , ambush bugs , spiders , dragonflies , ants , wasps ( Vespidae and Sphecidae ), and tiger beetles . The sundew plant is known to catch some butterflies.

There are also many vertebrate predators including lizards , frogs , toads , birds , mice , and other rodents .

Ecosystem Roles

Peck's skippers serve as minor pollinators and as prey for a variety of predators.

• Ecosystem Impact
• pollinates

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Peck's skippers provide enjoyment to butterfly watchers and thus provide economic benefits in the form of ecotourism.

• Positive Impacts
• ecotourism ecotourism

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

There are no known adverse affects of Peck's skippers on humans.

Conservation Status

Peck's skippers appear to be secure across their range and are not of conservation concern at this time.

Other Comments

Peck's skippers are also known as yellow patch skippers, yellow spotted skippers, and yellow spots. Previous scientific names include Polites coras , Papilio cora , Hesperia peckius , and Hesperia wamsutta .

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Matthew Wund (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Barb Barton (author), Special Contributors.

References

Glassberg, J. 1999. Butterflies Through Binoculars: the East . NY: Oxford University Press.

Iftner, D., J. Shuey, J. Calhoun. 1992. Butterflies and Skippers of Ohio . Columbus, OH: Ohio Biological Survey Bulletin, Vol 9 No 1.

Klots, A. 1951. A Field Guide to the Butterflies of North American, East of the Great Plains . Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Miller, J. 1992. The Common Names of North American Butterflies . Washington DC: Smithsonian Institute Press.

Miller, L., F. Brown. 1981. A Catalogue/Checklist of the Butterflies of America North of Mexico . Lepidopterist' Society Memoir No. 2.

Opler, P., G. Krizek. 1984. Butterflies East of the Great Plains . Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press.

Reese, M. 2003. "Peck's Skipper and Spider" (On-line ). Butterflies of Waushara County. Accessed 06/21/03 at http://www.wautoma.k12.wi.us/WHS/FACULTY/REESE/BUTTERFL/Skippers/Pecksskipper/Pecksandspider.htm .

Scott, J. 1986. The Butterflies of North American . Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

Shapiro, A. 1966. Butterflies of the Delaware Valley . American Entomological Society Special Publication.

Struttman, J. "Butterflies of Pennsylvania Peck's Skipper <<Polites peckius>> (=<<coras>>)" (On-line ). Butterflies of North America. Accessed 06/21/03 at http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/pa/548.htm .

Cirrus Digital Imaging. "Peck's Skipper Butterfly Photos" (On-line ). Cirrus Digital Imaging. Accessed 06/21/03 at http://www.cirrusimage.com/skipper_yellowpatch.htm .

Massachusetts Butterfly Club. "Peck's Skipper" (On-line ). Massachusetts Butterfly Club. Accessed 06/21/03 at http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabambc/construct-species-page.asp?sp=Polites-peckius .