Bug FAQField Skipper
Atalopedes campestris · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Hesperiidae
Also called: Field Sachem
The sachem butterfly has a wingspan of about 35 to 41 mm and the male’s forewings are orange with brown edges and a large four-sided black stigma.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 35 to 41 mm (about 1 ⅜ to 1 ⅝ inches).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The butterfly undergoes four stages of complete metamorphosis. Adults emerge from the pupa, fly, mate and lay eggs during a period called a flight.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
In the northern part of its range there are three flight periods from May through November. In the southern part there are four to five flights from March through December.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species has been expanding its range northward since the early 2000s. The northward spread is linked to winter warming rather than evolved cold tolerance.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is often confused with other skipper butterflies in the genus Hesperia. The eastern population has been split off as a separate species, A. huron, called the huron sachem.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 45 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Texas, Washington, Maryland, Oregon, Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Is the sachem butterfly expanding its range?
Yes, it has been moving northward since the early 2000s, driven by warmer winter temperatures.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell a male sachem from other skippers?
Males have orange forewings with brown edges and a distinctive large four-sided black stigma.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Hesperiidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atalopedes_campestris
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.