BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary
Polites sonora
Sonora Skipper
| Scientific Name: | Polites sonora (Scudder, 1872) | ||||||||||
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| English Name: | Sonora Skipper | ||||||||||
| Classification / Taxonomy | |||||||||||
| Scientific Name - Concept Reference: | Pelham, J. P. 2008. A catalogue of the butterflies of the United States and Canada with a complete bibliography of the descriptive and systematic literature. The Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera. Volume 40. 658 pp. Revised 14 February, 2012. | ||||||||||
| Classification Level: | Species | ||||||||||
| Taxonomy Comments: | subspecies SONORA | ||||||||||
| Species Group: | Invertebrate Animal | ||||||||||
| Species Code: | LE-POLSON | ||||||||||
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| Conservation Status / Legal Designation | |||||||||||
| Global Status: | G4 (Dec 2020) | ||||||||||
| Provincial Status: | S3 (Feb 2020) | ||||||||||
| BC List: | Blue | ||||||||||
| Provincial FRPA list: | Y (Jun 2006) | ||||||||||
| Provincial Wildlife Act: | |||||||||||
| COSEWIC Status: | Not at Risk (Nov 2016) | ||||||||||
| SARA Schedule: | |||||||||||
| General Status Canada: | 6 - Not Assessed (2000) | ||||||||||
| Ecology & Life History | |||||||||||
| General Description: | |||||||||||
| Migration Characteristics: (Global / Provincial) | |||||||||||
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Nonmigrant: Local Migrant: Distant Migrant: Within Borders Migrant: |
N / N / N / na / |
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| Habitats: (Type / Subtype / Dependence) |
Alpine/Tundra / Alpine/Subalpine Meadow / Unknown
Forest / Conifer Forest - Mesic (average) / Facultative - occasional use Forest / Conifer Forest - Moist/wet / Facultative - occasional use Grassland/Shrub / Meadow / Obligate Riparian / Gravel Bar / Facultative - occasional use Riparian / Riparian Forest / Facultative - occasional use Riparian / Riparian Herbaceous / Facultative - occasional use Riparian / Riparian Shrub / Facultative - occasional use |
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| Global Habitat Comments: | Mostly Canadian Zone moist meadows (Scott, 1986). | ||||||||||
| Food Habits: |
Herbivore:Immature
Nectarivore: Adult |
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| Global Food Habits Comments: | Caterpillar Hosts: Possibly Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis). Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including white-flowered thistles (Lotts and Naberhaus 2017). | ||||||||||
| Global Phenology: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Phenology: (1st half of month/ 2nd half of month) |
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| Colonial Breeder: | N | ||||||||||
| Length(cm)/width(cm)/Weight(g): | / / | ||||||||||
| Elevation (m) (min / max): |
Global:
Provincial: |
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| Distribution | |||||||||||
| Endemic: | N | ||||||||||
| Global Range Comment: | This species ranges from southern British Columbia, Canada, south to southern California, and east to Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, US. | ||||||||||
| Authors / Contributors | |||||||||||
| Global Information Author: | |||||||||||
| Last Updated: | May 08, 2001 | ||||||||||
| Provincial Information Author: | |||||||||||
| Last Updated: | |||||||||||
| References and Related Literature | |||||||||||
B.C. Ministry of Environment. Recovery Planning in BC. B.C. Minist. Environ. Victoria, BC. |
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Guppy, C.S., and J.H. Shepard. 2001. Butterflies of British Columbia. UBC Press in collaboration with Royal B.C. Mus. 414pp. |
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2001. Species Summary: Polites sonora. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 5, 2026).