Polites sabuleti chusca

Chusca Sandhill Skipper

This lighter subspecies of the sandhill skipper is a sort of desert version of nominate sabuleti that flies more coastally. Where the desert variety of saltgrass grows - springs, seeps, etc. in the desert - this skipper may be there. One such spot is along Valyermo Road where it follows Big Rock Creek near Pallet Creek Road in Valyermo, on the Mojave desert edge. At Anza-Borrego, Yaqui Well and Sentenac Cienega are mentioned by the Monroes in their book.

Chusca Sandhill Skipper - Polites sabuleti chusca
The desert subspecies of the sandhill skipper, Polites sabuleti chusca, is more lightly marked than the nominate species found along the coast. On Sept. 11, 2008, I happened upon a couple along Valyermo Road near Pearblossom. Desert salt grass, the larval host, was growing nearby.

©Dennis Walker