Aaron's Skipper (Poanes aaroni [Skinner])
Wing span: 1 5/16 - 1 11/16 inches (3.3 - 4.3 cm).
Identification: Upperside is bright orange with wide black borders; male has a faint narrow stigma on the forewing. Underside of hindwing is orange-tan with a pale streak in the center from the base to the outer margin.
Life history: Not reported.
Flight: Two broods from May-September in the north; probably several broods from April-October in Florida.
Caterpillar hosts: Possibly smooth cordgrass (Spartina alternifolia var. glabra).
Adult food: Nectar from flowers including pickerelweed, salt marsh fleabane, and coreopsis.
Habitat: Coastal salt marshes.
Range: Patchy distribution along the Atlantic coast from New Jersey south to south peninsular Florida.
Conservation: Not usually required.
The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management needs: None reported.
References:
Opler, P. A. and G. O. Krizek. 1984. Butterflies east of the Great Plains. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 294 pages, 54 color plates. Opler, P. A. and V. Malikul. 1992. A field guide to eastern butterflies. Peterson field guide #4. Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston. 396 pages, 48 color plates. Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.
Author: Jane M. Struttmann
State and Regional References:
Neck, R.W. 1996. A Field Guide to Butterflies of Texas. Gulf Publishing Co., Houston, Texas. Opler, Paul A. 1999. Peterson Field Guide to Western Butterflies, revised edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass. Stanford, R.E. and P.A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of Western USA Butterflies. Privately published, Denver, Colo. Tilden, J.W. and A.C. Smith. 1986. A Field Guide to Western Butterflies. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass. Tveten, J. and Tveten, G. 1996. Butterflies of Houston & Southeast Texas. Univ. of Texas Press, Austin, TX. 292 pp.