Zabulon Skippers

Here are a couple Zabulon Skippers from last spring. It's weird that this is one of our most common local butterflies but we still don't know common things about them. For example, we don't even know how the species survives the winter. (You'd think that some poor postdoc would get the assignment of following 1 of them around all winter, but no! Nobody got that assignment.)

These knowledge gaps are somewhat inconsistent. The Zabulons have a close relative - sometimes they're mistaken for 1 another - called the Hobomok Skipper, and we know that as partially grown caterpillars they'll make a silk tube to overwinter in. If I had to guess, I'd be suspicious that Zabulon Skippers do the same, but that's just a guess.

June 20, 2023 at Washington Valley Reservoir
Photo 301112431, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

June 20, 2023 at Washington Valley Reservoir
Photo 301113311, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)



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