Mulberry Wing
Poanes massasoit (Scudder, 1864)
Family: Hesperiidae
Status: Rare resident
NENHP Ranking: SNR, Tier 2
Range: The Mulberry Wing resides in an area from Minnesota and Iowa east to the East Coast. The only specific Nebraska record is from Boone County.
Larval Hostplant(s): Sedges (Carex species).
Broods/Flight Times: One flight. Our records are from early July.
Overwintering: Likely as a larva.
Habitat: Marshes and wetlands.
Avg. Wingspan: 1 1/8 – 1 7/16 inches
Found at: One Boone County wetland
Similar Species:
Notes: Poanes massasoit is mentioned several times as occurring in Nebraska in old literature. Barber (1894) mentions a record from Dodge County with no data which was thought to be in error in light of no subsequent records. The species was rediscovered in 2001 in a marshy area along Beaver Creek northeast of Albion in Boone County. It has been found there on several occasions since indicating a stable population, the only one known for the state.
Mulberry Wing, Matthew Brust
