| Hesperia leonardus pawnee Dodge, 1874 |
| Status: Uncommon to common resident |
| Flight Period(s): One late summer flight from 17 August to 13 September in Nebraska. |
| Range: A montane subspecies ( montana) flies in a restricted area in the South Platte River valley in Colorado. Subspecies pawnee ranges from the foothills of eastern Montana and eastern Colorado east to Minnesota and Nebraska. After a narrow blend zone in western Iowa, subspecies l. leonardus is found ranging to the east coast. With the exception of the southeastern corner the Pawnee Skipper has been found statewide, albeit not recently in the eastern half. Nebraska specimens are typical pawnee (the type locality is Dodge County, Nebraska) although some specimens from western portions of the state resemble subspecies montana and specimens from the northeastern portion of the state have the potential to blend with eastern l. leonardus. |
| Larval Hostplant(s): Grasses, primarily Andropogon scoparius, A. gerardii and Bouteloua curtipendula |
| Overwinter: As young caterpillar |
| Commentary/Habitat: The species favors short to mixed grass prairies and is often common in western Nebraska. East of the 100 th meridian the species generally becomes scarce. In eastern Nebraska the species should be sought in the bluffs along the Missouri River or other high quality prairies. Adults take nectar from Liatris, thistles, verbena, asters and sunflowers. When upland areas are arid adults have been found in wetlands on Joe-Pye weed and marsh marigold. |
| Similar Species: N/A |
