Hesperia sassacus, the Indian skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae.
| Indian skipper | |
|---|---|
_on_Hieracium_canadense,_Mer_Bleue.jpg)
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| On Canada hawkweed | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Hesperiidae |
| Genus: | Hesperia |
| Species: | H. sassacus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Hesperia sassacus Harris, 1862
| |
Taxonomy
editThe following subspecies are recognised:[2]
- Hesperia sassacus sassacus Harris, 1862
- Hesperia sassacus manitoboides (Fletcher, 1889)
- Hesperia sassacus nantahala Gatrelle & Grkovich, 2003
Description
editThe wingspan is 25–30 mm. The flight period is late May to early July.[3]
Distribution and habitat
editIt 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.[3]
Ecology and behaviour
editThe larvae feed on nodding fescue (Festuca obtusa), poverty grass (Danthonia spicata), and panic grass (Panicum), Bouteloua, Andropogon, Aristida, and Poaceae species.[3][4]
References
edit- ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0 Hesperia sassacus Indian Skipper". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
- ^ "Hesperia". www.nic.funet.fi. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
- ^ a b c Indian Skipper, Butterflies of Canada
- ^ Hesperia, funet.fi
External links
edit- Indian Skipper, Butterflies and Moths of North America