Sachem
Atalopedes campestris (Boisduval, 1852)

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Diagnosis: The males of the Sachem have bright orange wings, bordered with dark brown on the upperside. The black stigma is four-sided and rectangular in shape. The females are variable in colour and have a streaked appearance above and a rectangular transparent spot towards the wing-tip; on the hindwing underside they have a medial band of squarish cream spots on a yellowish-brown ground colour. Wingspan: 23 to 30 mm.

Subspecies: Only the nominate subspecies occurs in Canada; specimens from eastern North America have been treated as subspecies huron by some authors, but this population is not sufficiently distinct to warrant subspecific recognition.

Range: The Sachem is resident only in the southern U.S., but migrates north each year to cover most of that country. It occasionally reaches Canada in southern Ontario, southeastern Manitoba, and the southern interior of British Columbia.

Similar Species: The males are unique. Dark females could be confused with the female Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus), or the Little Glassywing (Pompeius verna), which lacks the distinct medial hindwing band. Atalopedes campestris has long pointed wings and could be mistaken for a Hesperia, but in Canada only the Ottoe Skipper (Hesperia ottoe) has any transparent spots, and in it the medial hindwing band is absent or indistinct. [compare images]

Early Stages: The larva is dark olive green with a dark brownish dorsal line and tiny darker bumps; the head is black. Foodplants are many species of grasses, including Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon); it has been recorded on Crab Grass (Digitaria sanguinalis) at Point Pelee (Alan Wormington, pers. comm.).

Abundance: Common in the southern U.S., it becomes scarcer farther north. It is always very rare in Canada.

Flight Season: In Canada campestris is more likely to be seen in late summer, but can arrive by June and breed, with offspring occurring from August until mid-October.

Habits: The Sachem can be found in just about any open place, including disturbed areas, lawns, and roadsides.

Remarks: The only Manitoba specimen was photographed by Peter Taylor at East Braintree on 9 July 1991. In June 1988 there was a large migration into southwestern Ontario, and specimens were taken at several locations. They were observed breeding at Point Pelee, with a second generation emerging in August (Wormington, 1989).

© 2002. This material is reproduced with permission from The Butterflies of Canada by Ross A. Layberry, Peter W. Hall, and J. Donald Lafontaine. University of Toronto Press; 1998. Specimen photos courtesy of John T. Fowler.

The Toronto Entomologists' Association thanks Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for providing the content and computer code for this web page.