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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Hesperiidae 77a0195 – 4041   Polites themistocles (Latreille, [1824])

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Larva and Host Plants: Host familiy: Poaceae.  Host genera: Dichanthelium Digitaria Echinochloa Elymus Eremochloa Glyceria Koeleria Panicum Phleum Poa.  Notes: grasses (Brock & Kaufman 2003) & (Wagner 2005).  (Shropshire & Douglas 2025) Similar Species: Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.) Synonymy: themistocles (Latreille, [1824]) (Hesperia) - MONA 1983: 4041 ssp. a. themistocles (Latreille, [1824]) (Hesperia)  ahaton (Harris, 1862) (Hesperia)  cernes (Boisduval & Le Conte, [1837]) (Hesperia)  phocion (Fabricius, 1798) (Hesperia)  taumas (Fabricius, 1787) (Papilio) ssp. b. turneri Freeman, 1944 (Polites)

References (Caution: DNA barcoding at BOLD provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; some BOLD specimens shown may not be sequenced.)

Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Identifications often erroneous; DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; many specimens not sequenced. Shropshire, K.J. & D.W. Tallamy, 2025. Lepidoptera of North America, north of Mexico: an annotated list containing geographic ranges and host-plant records. ZooKeys, 1261: 101-113; Suppl. 1. (PDF or read online) Species Page at BugGuide.Net Species Page at iNaturalist Species Page at the Butterflies of America

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