Bug FAQNorthern Broken-Dash
Wallengrenia egeremet · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Hesperiidae
The butterfly’s wingspan ranges from about 25 to 39 mm. It lives across much of the United States and southern Canada, from Maine and Ontario west to the Great Lakes and North Dakota, and south to Florida, the Gulf Coast and Texas. Caterpillars eat several species of panic grass, while adults sip nectar from white, pink or purple flowers such as dogbane and red clover.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is between 25 and 39 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on various panic grasses, including Panicum clandestinum and Panicum dichotomum.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
In most of its range adults are on the wing from June to August, producing one generation. In the deep south and eastern Texas there are two generations, with adults flying from May to October.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults appear from June through August in most areas. In the deep south and eastern Texas they can be seen from May to October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers the same areas of North America described for its habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Others consider it a subspecies of Wallengrenia otho.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 40 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Minnesota.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on several panic grass species, such as Panicum clandestinum and Panicum dichotomum.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see the adult butterflies?
Most of the time they are active from June to August, but in the deep south and eastern Texas they may be seen from May to October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this butterfly found?
It occurs across much of the United States and southern Canada, from Maine and Ontario west to the Great Lakes and North Dakota, and south to Florida, the Gulf Coast and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Is this species related to other butterflies?
There is taxonomic uncertainty; some classify it in the genus Polites, while others treat it as a subspecies of Wallengrenia otho.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Hesperiidae)
.jpg){kind=link}
_(6009871536).jpg){kind=link}
_on_Prairie_Blazing_Star_(Liatris_pycnostachya).jpg){kind=link}
_(9259002126).jpg){kind=link}
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallengrenia_egeremet
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.