About Polites vibex praeceps (Scudder, 1872)
This subspecies, Polites vibex praeceps, commonly known as the whirlabout, shows sexual dimorphism. Both sexes are roughly the same size, with a wingspan ranging from 25–38 mm (0.98–1.50 in), and both have elongated wings. However, the two sexes differ dramatically in color and patterning: males are orange and yellow, while females are dark brown. Whirlabout butterflies are permanent residents across a range that extends from the southeastern United States and West Indies to eastern Mexico, and continues through tropical regions south to Argentina. In warmer months, they can occasionally be found much further north, reaching as far as Ohio, Connecticut, and northeast Iowa. Their typical habitats include grassy areas of the coastal plain, fields, dunes, pinewoods, roadsides, disturbed areas, vacant lots, open woodlots, forest edges, parks, lawns, and gardens. Caterpillars of this butterfly feed on a variety of grasses, while adult whirlabouts feed on flower nectar.
