About Hesperia leonardus Harris, 1862
Hesperia leonardus, commonly known as Leonard's skipper, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Hesperiidae. Three subspecies are recognized, in addition to the nominate subspecies. The subspecies H. l. pawnee, called the Pawnee skipper, is distributed in North America from western Montana and southeastern Saskatchewan east to Minnesota, and south to central Colorado and Kansas. The main Leonard's skipper nominate subspecies ranges from Nova Scotia and Maine west through southern Ontario and the Great Lakes region to Minnesota, and south to North Carolina, Louisiana, and Missouri. The third subspecies, H. l. montana, known as the Pawnee montane skipper, is endemic to the South Platte River drainage of Colorado. This species has a wingspan of 32–45 mm. It produces one generation per year, with active adults on the wing from August to October. The larvae of Leonard's skipper feed on a variety of grasses, including Andropogon scoparius, Bouteloua gracilis, and Agrostis. Adult butterflies feed on flower nectar from a range of flower species, including Liatris punctata, thistles, asters, and teasel.
