Insect
Polites vibex
Polites vibexAlso known as Whirlabout Skipper
Whirlabouts display striking sexual dimorphism, with vibrant golden-orange males bearing a prominent black patch on the forewings while females are dusky brown with pale angular spots. Adults fly with rapid, buzzing wingbeats and perform characteristic tight spiraling loops when settling onto flowers or taking flight. Caterpillars construct protective tubular silken shelters woven among blades of turf grasses, emerging at night to feed.
Grass SkipperPollinatorFast Flyer
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyFlower nectar, Bermuda grass foliage, Crabgrass foliage
Predators
- Crab spiders
- Robber flies
- Insectivorous birds
ThreatsPesticide application and conversion of open grassy landscapes
HabitatsLawns, meadows, coastal dunes, roadsides, open fields, and pastures
Life spanAdults live 2–3 weeks; full life cycle spans 1–2 months
Classification
- OrderLepidoptera
- FamilyHesperiidae
- GenusPolites
- SpeciesPolites vibex
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Sunny observation: Approach slowly while individuals bask on low-growing flowers during early morning hours.
- Inspect turf grasses: Search near the base of warm-season grasses to find silken caterpillar shelters.
Frequent Companion (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · cc-by
Host Plant (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Katja Schulz · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Bill Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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Mystic Meadows
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