New Jersey Butterfly Club

Sachem

Atalopedes campestris

Identification: Very small—FW ≥0.6". Female generally larger than male. Above: Male FW displays strikingly large, squarish dark stigma in an orange field. Female FW is brown, with orange along the leading edge, pale "bracelet," two large, glassy, squarish central marks, and two isolated pale spots toward the forewing tip. Male HW has blurry orange field with dark veins. Female HW has wide, dark borders, with dark veins across a central orange patch that mirrors ventral chevron. Below: HW of male yellowish-brown with blotchy pale markings enclosing a rather faint, square, darkish mark along the inner edge. Some very fresh males appear entirely golden-orange below. Female HW brownish with a vaguely to sharply defined whitish chevron. Similar skippers: No other male grass-skipper has the bold, square stigma of a Sachem. But a “golden” male—or a heavily worn male—seen only from below may be puzzling if the square mark on HW edge is very faint or obscured by wear—so try to see that stigma! ”Golden” males can be separated from Delaware by wing fringes—orange on both wings for Delaware, orange on HW but buff on FW for Sachem. Cobweb, Indian, and Long Dash have chevrons on HW below, but these species fly only in spring/early summer.

NJ Status and Distribution: Nonresident. Generally a summer immigrant from the south, but may overwinter in some years. Common to superabundant in southern counties, especially near the coast. Becoming more common in Central and North Jersey in recent years.

Habitat: Dry, grassy fields.

Flight Period: One or more broods from spring to fall, peaking in September. Extreme dates: North Jersey 5/8—11/30; South Jersey 3/27—12/13.

Caterpillar Food Plants: Crabgrass (Digitaria), Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon), and other grasses.

Overwintering Stage: Caterpillar (but generally does not overwinter in NJ).

Good Locations: Sandy Hook GNRA, Higbee Beach WMA, Big Brook Park, Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve, Cape May Point SP.