Poanes aaroni
Species of butterfly
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Poanes aaroni, the saffron skipper, is a North American butterfly from the skipper family (Hesperiidae) which occurs in salt marshes along the Atlantic coast.
| Saffron skipper | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Hesperiidae |
| Genus: | Poanes |
| Species: | P. aaroni |
| Binomial name | |
| Poanes aaroni (Skinner, 1890) | |
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