Polites peckius

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia
Cladus: Apoditrysia
Cladus: Obtectomera
Superfamilia: Papilionoidea

Familia: Hesperiidae
Subfamilia: Hesperiinae
Tribus: Hesperiini
Subtribus: Hesperiina
Genus: Polites
Species: Polites peckius
Name

Polites peckius Kirby, W.F., 1837

Type localityː Northern Parts of British America.

Typusː repository tbc.
Synonymy

☆Hesperia peckius Kirby, 1837: 300, pl.4, figs.2,3 ♂.
☆Hesperia wamsutta Harris, 1862ː 318, fig.141. Synonymy in Bridges, 1994ː VIII.172.
☆=Polites coras (Cramer); Draudt, 1924ː 932 (mis-spelt as peckins); Evans, [1955]ː 332.
☆Polites peckius (Kirby); Bridges, 1994ː VIII.172, IX.51.
References

Bridges, C.A. 1994. Catalogue of the Family-Group, Genus-Group and Species-Group Names of the Hesperioidea (Lepidoptera) of the World. Bridges, Urbana, Illinois. BHL Reference page.
Draudt, M.W.K. 1917–1924. Die amerikanischen Tagfalter. Lycaenidae and Grypocera. In Seitz, Grossschmett. Erde 5: 739–999, Pls.1-194. Reference page.
Evans, W.H. 1951–55. A Catalogue of the American Hesperiidae in the British Museum. Pt.1 (1951): x+92pp, pls. 1–9; Pt.2 (1952): v.+178pp, pls. 10–25; Pt.3 (1953): v+246pp, pls. 26–53; Pt.4 (1955): v+499pp, pls. 54–88. Reference page.
Harris, T.W. 1862. A treatise on some of the insects injurious to vegetation. Boston, William White. 640pp. Ill. BHL Reference page.
Kirby, W. F., 1837. In Richardson, J., Fauna Boreali-Americana or the zoology of the northern parts of British America., Part 4, Insects. pp. 286-300, 2 pls. Norwich. Reference page.

Links

Butterflies of America
Vernacular names
English: Peck's skipper

Polites peckius, the Peck's skipper, is a North American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae (skippers), subfamily Hesperiinae (grass skippers). This skipper ranges across Canada from British Columbia, as far north as Cartwright, Labrador; Moar Lake, Ontario; Leaf Rapids, Manitoba; and the Hay River area in Alberta. In the US, it ranges in most of the northern and central states, except on the west coast.

Description

Both sexes have dark brown and yellowish-orange markings as adults. Ventrally, both sexes have a large straw-coloured patch in the middle of the hindwing. This patch helps distinguish it from other Polites.[2] Males are lighter than females, and they have a stigma (round or oval mark) on the forewing.[3] Like other skippers, the ends of the antennae have tiny hooks. The wingspan ranges from 19 to 27 mm.
Behavior and life cycle

Peck's skipper flies from May to October, and produces two or three generations each year.[3] Adults consume nectar from flowers including red clover, purple vetch, and thistles. They typically live in grassy habitats including meadows, marshes, and roadsides. Similar to other grass skippers, this species commonly rests with the forewings held open in a V shape, while the hindwings are held out horizontally to the side. They may also have all four folded together so that only the bottom surfaces are visible.[4] Males perch in sunny open areas to await receptive females, and courtship takes place throughout the day.[3] After mating, females lay single eggs. The caterpillars consume rice cutgrass, bluegrass and other grasses.[3]
References

"NatureServe Explorer 2.0 Polites peckius Peck's Skipper". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
Peck's Skipper, Butterflies of Canada
"Peck's Skipper Polites peckius (W. Kirby, 1837) | Butterflies and Moths of North America". www.butterfliesandmoths.org. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
"Peck's Skipper". Missouri Department of Conservation. Retrieved 22 August 2021.