Bug FAQNorthern Broken-Dash
Wallengrenia egeremet · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Hesperiidae
The Northern Broken-Dash has a wingspan of about 25 to 39 mm. Caterpillars feed on several panicgrass species, while adults sip nectar from white, pink or purple flowers such as dogbane and red clover.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 25 to 39 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat various panicgrass species, including Panicum clandestinum and Panicum dichotomum.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
In most of its range adults fly from June to August, producing one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
In the deep south and eastern Texas adults appear from May to October, reflecting two generations.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to North America, occurring from Maine and Ontario across the Great Lakes region to North Dakota and down to Florida, the Gulf Coast and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is also sometimes considered 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
When are Northern Broken-Dash butterflies active?
Most adults fly from June through August, but in the deep south and eastern Texas they can be seen from May to October.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on several panicgrass species, such as Panicum clandestinum and Panicum dichotomum.
Source: Wikipedia
Is this butterfly sometimes called something else?
Yes, it is sometimes placed in the genus Polites and also considered a subspecies of Wallengrenia otho.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Hesperiidae)
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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.