Art Shapiro's Butterfly Site
Monitoring butterfly populations across Central California for more than 35 years… Poanes melane
Common Name: Umber Skipper
Although common in parts of the Bay Area where it is an urban "lawn skipper," on our transect this is entirely a species of riparian forest and is generally uncommon or even rare. It perches in dappled light and shade along streamsides, generally well off the ground. Its upper limit of residency at the latitude of I-80 seems to be about 3000'. There is no evident variation.
Two to three broods in our area, April-October; flight season longervin Bay Area. Hostbplants presumably native riparian grasses, but not identified. In Berkeley it breeds happily on Bermuda Grass, which seems to have not discovered farther inland. Adults visit Yerba Santa, Dogbane, Milkweed, Thistles, Yellow Star Thistle, California Buckeye, Coyote Brush, etc., etc.
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