Butterflies of North Carolina:
their Distribution and Abundance
Common Name: Scientific Name:
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Number of records: 249,613
Related Species in HESPERIIDAE:
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Common NameNorthern Broken-dash by Roger Rittmaster => female, Durham Co.
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Scientific NamePolites egeremet
Link to BAMONA species account.
MapClick on a county for list of all database records for the species in that county.
Flight Chart
Common NameNorthern Broken-dash
Scientific NamePolites egeremet
DistributionDISTRIBUTION: Scattered across the state, and possibly is absent in parts of the inner half of the Coastal Plain. As with the Southern Broken-dash, found in all three provinces -- most often found in VA border counties, though this is not obvious from the range map. However, unlike the latter species, it is more "numerous" in the Piedmont and Mountains than in the Coastal Plain. Recorded along the Outer Banks. Possibly present in all counties, despite an absence of records for most of the western and central Coastal Plain, where there are relatively few observers. However, this scarcity of records in the western and central Coastal Plain seems to be real.
AbundanceABUNDANCE: Uncommon in the northern Piedmont and northern Mountains; rare to uncommon in the central and southern portions of these provinces, and rare near the SC border. Very rare to rare in the Coastal Plain, mainly in the lower portions toward the coast. It has been found in some numbers in meadows in Ashe County, at Mayo River State Park, at Caswell Game Land, and at Kerr Reservoir. All of these above four places are in counties along the VA state line, and thus it is clearly more numerous in northern counties than farther south. Much of its apparent scarcity might be due to its difficulty of identification; many observers are hesitant to report this species, as a result. As with many other grass skippers, numbers are likely in a slow decline across the state.
FlightFLIGHT PERIOD: Two broods downstate; the latter half of May to early July, and mid- or late July to mid-September. One main brood in the Mountains, probably early June to early August, with a small brood in late August and September.
HabitatHABITAT: As with the Southern Broken-dash, this species favors damp ground, and is infrequent in dry places. It can be found in wet meadows or bogs in the Mountains, moist powerline clearings, lake and marsh edges, savannas, and edges of bottomlands. It does occur in weedy fields and other mesic places such as upland Mountain meadows, but it is not to be intentionally looked for in dry sites. Thus, the habitat is nearly identical to that of the Southern Broken-dash, but it occurs more often in cooler climates, throughout the northern portions of the Piedmont and northern Mountains.
PlantsFOOD AND NECTAR PLANTS: Foodplants are panicgrasses (Dichanthelium spp.). The species nectars on many flowers; I have had particular luck with finding them nectaring on Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) in the Piedmont.
CommentsCOMMENTS: Comparisons of abundance and habitat in NC with those in the Northeast yield interesting results. The references all indicate that the Northern Broken-dash is common in the Northeast and widespread in "open fields and meadows, most common in moist but not wet situations" (Glassberg 1993). Opler's references do not even mention a preference for moist areas. Away from the Mountains, I nearly always see it in moist places, even though I spend 60-70% of my time in upland habitats. However, in Ashe County I have found it in meadows away from damp places. Thus, it seems to prefer less damp areas in the Mountains than downstate.
State Status (first) and Rank (second)none - S4
Federal Status (first) and Global Rank (second)none - G5
SynonymWallengrenia egeremet
Other NameNorthern Broken-Dash
Links to other butterfly galleries: [Cook] [Lynch] [Pippen] [Pugh]
Photo Gallery for Northern Broken-dash
Photo by: Roger Rittmaster
Comment: female, Durham Co.
Northern Broken-dash - Click to enlarge 		Photo by: Lori Arent
Comment: Alleghany Co., 28 June 2021
Northern Broken-dash - Click to enlarge
Photo by: W. Cook
Comment: Durham Co., 17-Aug-2003
Northern Broken-dash - Click to enlarge 		Photo by: Jeff Pippen
Comment: male. Watauga Co. 27 June 2004
Northern Broken-dash - Click to enlarge