Polites themistocles, the tawny-edged skipper, is a North American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae.

This species varies geographically and within populations. The upper side of the male's wings is brown or olive brown with the forewing having bright orange along the costa that ends at the stigma. The stigma is thicker than the male crossline skipper's (Polites origenes) and it usually runs more parallel to the costa. The upperside of the female's wings is brown with the forewing having a less conspicuous orange costa than the male. Near the end of the forewing cell there are two rectangular pale spots and three pale spots in a row in the subapical area. The underside of the wings vary form light brown to brown to brownish-orange. Sometimes the hindwing will have a crossband like the crossline skipper, but it is usually much more faint. The "tawny-edged" forewing strongly contrasts with the hindwing color. Its wingspan ranges from 3⁄4 to 1 inch (19–25 mm).

Description

Similar species in the tawny-edged skipper's range include the crossline skipper and the Baracoa skipper (Polites baracoa).
 Crossline skippers are usually larger than tawny-edged skippers. The male has a thinner forewing stigma, and it does not run parallel to the costa. The female has less or no orange along the forewing costa and has two or three pale forewing spots with the central one being more squarish. The underside of both wings is olive brown to brown with the hindwing having a pale crossband.
 The Baracoa skipper is smaller than the tawny-edged skipper. The male has a short and straight stigma. The female has a lost of orange on her forewing and has dark patches in the same locations as the male. The underside of the wings is very similar to the tawny-edged skipper's except the hindwing has a pale crossband.

Similar species

This skipper flies from June to early August in the north and west, May to August in the east, and May to early November in the deep south.

Flight

Most of the day, males perch on grass blades or stems to await females. Females lay their greenish white eggs on or near the host plant. The larva lives in a nest by tying leaves together with silk. The variable brown larva is indistinguishable from closely related larvae. The overwintering stage is the pupa. The tawny-edged skipper has one brood per year in the northeast and northwest and two or three broods per year in the deep south.

Life cycle

Host plants of the tawny-edged skipper include:


- Slender crabgrass (Digitaria filiformis)
- Panicum microcarpum
- Smooth meadow-grass (Poa pratensis)

Host plants

harmful

Polites themistocles are considered tree pests because their larvae feed on the leaves of various tree species, causing damage to the foliage and potentially impacting the overall health and growth of the trees.

tree pest

Polites themistocles can be considered garden pests because their larvae feed on the leaves of plants commonly found in gardens, such as ornamental flowers and shrubs, which can result in damage to the aesthetic appeal and overall health of the garden plants.

garden pest

Polites themistocles can be considered crop pests because their larvae feed on the leaves of certain crop plants, potentially causing damage to the foliage and reducing the overall yield and quality of the crops.

crop pest

Polites themistocles are considered pests because their larvae feed on the leaves of trees, garden plants, and crops, causing damage to the foliage and potentially impacting the health and productivity of these plants.

google-play-not-available-title

Where can I find tawny-edged skipper?

More questions