Poanes aaroni

Saffron skipper

Apparently Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Poanes
Species:
P. aaroni
Binomial name
Poanes aaroni
(Skinner, 1890)

Poanes aaroni, the saffron skipper, is a North American butterfly from the skipper family (Hesperiidae) which occurs in salt marshes along the Atlantic coast.

The upperside of the wings are vivid orange, with broad black borders. The underside of the hindwing is a paler orange with a pallid stripe in the center.

The larva feeds exclusively on smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora).

Four subspecies are recognized:

  • P. a. aaroni Skinner, 1890 – Aaron's skipper
  • P. a. bordeloni – Bordelon's skipper
  • P. a. howardi – Howard's skipper
  • P. a. minimus – swamp skipper

References

  1. ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0 Poanes aaroni Aaron's Skipper". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 3 October 2020.