Species: Polites mardon
Mardon Skipper
Species
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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
A dull yellowsih and brown skipper. Rather like a washed out runty version of the common more eastern P. mystic.
Articles:
This article was originally published by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife as part of its annual report Threatened and Endangered Wildlife in Washington.
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Mandibulata
Class
Insecta
Order
Lepidoptera
Family
Hesperiidae
Genus
Polites
NatureServe
Classification
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Invertebrates - Insects - Butterflies and Moths - Butterflies and Skippers
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Mandibulata - Insecta - Lepidoptera - Hesperiidae - Polites - both to the north and south..
Ecology and Life History
A dull yellowsih and brown skipper. Rather like a washed out runty version of the common more eastern P. mystic.
Short General Description
Cascades Skipper, Mardon skipper
Migration
false - false - false - Presumably some movement between habitat patches but if so it seems to be rare. However occurrences do not seem to move from year to year, and new occurrences have not been found in previously surveyed locations. This suggests that individuals do not move far, and the species may be a poor colonist.
Non-migrant
false
Locally Migrant
false
Food Comments
Adults oviposit on FESTUCA IDAHOENSIS in southern Oregon and nectar on clovers (Mattoon et al., 1998). In Del Norte County, California, the larval food plant is FESTUCA RUBRA, and FESTUCA OVINA is suspected as the larval host for this species in Washington (Mattoon et al., 1998). This grass genus seems implicated in California also. It could feed on several grasses, however. Adults nectar at dandelion (TARAXACUM OFFICINALE) and western wallflower (ERYSIMUM CAPITATUM) in western Washington (Newcomer, 1966). According to John Fleckenstein Mardon skipper is usually associated with Festuca spp. grasses. Potter (pers. comm.) and Mattoon (1998) have recorded ovipositioning on Festuca spp. Newcomer (1966) raised larvae on lawn grasses but thought Festuca spp. might be the native foodplants. Festuca idahoensis or Festuca rubra have been found on all Washington sites hosting mardon skipper (Potter, pers. comm., Fleckenstein, per. obs). Numerous nectar sources have been noted, including dandelion, wallflower (Erysimum capitatum) (Newcomer 1966), violet (Viola adunca), vinca (Vinca), penstemon (Penstemon), and Calochortus (Potter, per. comm.).
Ecology Comments
All stages apparently above ground. R. Pyle says prescribed burns have recently eradicated some Washington populations.
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G2G3
Global Status Last Reviewed
2011-03-18
Global Status Last Changed
2010-11-24
Other Status
C - C: Candidate - 2006-09-12
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?US.CA=S1&US.OR=S2&US.WA=S1" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
DF - 1000-200,000 square km (about 400-80,000 square miles) - DEF - The Xerces Society (Sheperd et al., 2005) summarized the range as follows. Historically, mardon skippers were collected from three counties in Washington (Thurston, Klickitat, and Yakima), two counties in Oregon (Klamath and Jackson), and one (Del Norte) in California. The mardon skipper is now known from 37 sites located in four geographic areas: (1) southern Puget Sound, (2) the Mt. Adams area (eastern side of the Cascade Range) in southern Washington, (3) the Cascade Range in southern Oregon, and (4) Del Norte (north-coastal) California. A few additional counties have been added since. <br><br>See also "number of EOS comments".
Global Range Code
DF
Global Range Description
1000-200,000 square km (about 400-80,000 square miles)