Hesperia sassacus

Indian skipper
On Canada hawkweed
Secure
Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Hesperia
Species:
H. sassacus
Binomial name
Hesperia sassacus
Harris, 1862

Hesperia sassacus, the Indian skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae.

Taxonomy

The following subspecies are recognised:

Description

The wingspan is 25–30 mm. The flight period is late May to early July.

Museum specimen

Distribution and habitat

It is found from northeastern U.S., and in Canada in southwestern New Brunswick and in a broad band from the Eastern Townships of Quebec through to southern Manitoba.

Ecology and behaviour

The larvae feed on nodding fescue (Festuca obtusa), poverty grass (Danthonia spicata), and panic grass (Panicum), Bouteloua, Andropogon, Aristida, and Poaceae species.

References

  1. ↑ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0 Hesperia sassacus Indian Skipper". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  2. ↑ "Hesperia". www.nic.funet.fi. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  3. 1 2 3 Indian Skipper, Butterflies of Canada
  4. ↑ Hesperia, funet.fi