Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Polites vibex (Geyer)
Orig. Comb: Thymelicus Vibex Geyer, 1832
Explanation of Names
vibex (L). 'a whip mark'
(1)
Whirlabouts named for their fast circular flight pattern.
Identification
Adult: dorsal - male bright yellowish-orange on both wings; forewing with large black stigma and dark patch near tip. Female dark brown with unmarked hindwing and several pale orange or yellow spots on forewing.
Adult: ventral - male orangish-yellow with dark apical patch on forewing, and usually three or four large blackish smudges on hindwing. Female variably drab color with light color bands.
Range
coastal se US plains (TX-FL-NC) / Mex / W. Indies -
Map (MPG)
Habitat
Sunny scrubby or open areas, including dunes, fields, pinewoods, roadsides, forest openings, yards, and parks.
Season
Adults fly all year in Florida and southern Texas; April to September farther north
Food
larvae feed on grasses, including
Bermudagrass (
Cynodon dactylon),
St. Augustine Grass (
Stenotaphrum secundatum), and
Thin Paspalum (
Paspalum setaceum)
Life Cycle
Two generations per year in northern part of range; more than two in the far south.
See Also
Similar to
Fiery Skipper (
Hylephila phileus), but forewing orange is smooth rather than the jagged edging of Fiery.
Also compare
Sachem (
Atalopedes campestris.
