Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes)

Statewide distribution in NC being most common in the piedmont, Crossline Skippers are two brooded, appearing in May and flying well into the fall. This species is quite variable in appearance and can be confused with several other skippers.


Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Murphy's Point Provincial Park, Lanark Co., Ontario 12 July 2018	Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Murphy's Point Provincial Park, Lanark Co., Ontario 12 July 2018


Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Murphy's Point Provincial Park, Lanark Co., Ontario 12 July 2018	Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Lanark Co., Ontario 12 July 2018

Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes)
Duke Forest, Durham Co., NC
11 Sep 2018

Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes)
Wake Co., NC
25 May 2008


Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Duke Forest, Durham Co., NC 11 Sep 2018	Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes), very worn!! Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 21 Sep 2019

Crossline Skippers (Polites origenes)
Falls Lake, Wake Co., NC
25 May 2008


Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Durham Co., NC 30 May 2003	Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Orange Co., NC 25 May 2004

Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes)
Wilkes Co., NC
24 Aug 2016

Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes)
Duke Forest, Durham Co., NC
5 June 2018

Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes)
Duke Forest, Durham Co., NC
5 June 2018

Diving in deep!


Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Duke Forest, Durham Co., NC 21 Aug 2017	Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 24 Aug 2017


Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 7 June 2020	Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 7 June 2020


Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 7 June 2020	Crossline Skippers (Polites origenes) Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 7 June 2020

Crossline Skippers (Polites origenes)
Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC
31 May 2020


Crossline Skippers (Polites origenes) Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 3 Sep 2022	Crossline Skippers (Polites origenes) Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 3 Sep 2022


Crossline Skippers (Polites origenes) Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 21 June 2020

From below, Crossline Skippers vary from orangish to brownish and from being nearly unmarked to having a strong postmedian band of pales spots. Males and females look similar from below.

Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Orange Co., NC 6 Jun 2006	Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Orange Co., NC 28 Sep 2005

		From above, males and females are quite distinct, with males (left) showing much more orange and a strong diagonal black line (stigma). Females (rignt) are mostly dark above with a few square spots in the middle of the forewing.
Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Orange Co., NC 19 May 2004	Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Orange Co., NC 6 Jun 2006


Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Orange Co., NC 25 May 2004	Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Orange Co., NC 16 May 2004


Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Durham, NC 20 Aug 2005	Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Male Durham Co., NC 20 Aug 2005


Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Orange Co., NC 25 May 2004	Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Orange Co., NC 16 May 2004


Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Chatham Co., NC 24 Sep 2005	Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Orange Co., NC 13 June 2008


Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Durham Co., NC 30 May 2003	Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Chatham Co., NC 24 Sep 2005

Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes)
Korstian Division Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC
21 Aug 2004


Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Durham Division Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 13 Sep 2020	Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) Blackwood Division Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 15 May 2007

Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes)
Durham Division Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC
13 Sep 2020

	I watched a Crossline Skipper lay this egg on the underside of a blade of grass (Panicum sp.) Orange Co., NC 29 May 2004


Crossline? Tawny-edge? Northern Broken-Dash? Orange Co., NC 25 May 2004

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Created on ... June 26, 2003 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com