Polites sabuleti sinemaculata
Austin, 1987
Bleached Sandhill Skipper
T1T1Global Rank
Very highThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.120130
Element CodeIILEP66023
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSubspecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryInvertebrate Animal
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderLepidoptera
FamilyHesperiidae
GenusPolites
Concept ReferenceAustin, G. T. 1987. Nevada populations of Polites sabuleti and the descriptions of five new subspecies. Bulletin of the Allyn Museum. 109:1-21.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-10-14
Change Date1998-09-01
Edition Date2025-10-14
Edition AuthorsT. Cornelisse
Threat ImpactVery high
Range Extent<100 square km (less than about 40 square miles)
Number of Occurrences1 - 5
Rank ReasonsThis subspecies has a very narrow range and few declining populations threatened by climate change and groundwater pumping.
Range Extent CommentsThis subspecies occurs in the Bog Hot Valley drainage system in Humboldt County, Nevada, USA (USFWS 2024, 2025).
Occurrences CommentsThis species is known from three isolated populations (USFWS 2025).
Threat Impact CommentsThis subspecies is threatened by increasing temperatures and drought conditions due to climate change as well as ground water pumping and renewable energy development that directly impact the butterfly as well as degrade host plant conditions (Nevada Division of Natural Heritage 2024; USFWS 2025).
Ecology & Habitat
Habitat
This subspecies is found in alkali meadows (USFWS 2025).
Terrestrial HabitatsGrassland/herbaceousPlaya/salt flat
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN1
| Province | Rank | Native |
|---|
| Nevada | S1 | Yes |
Roadless Areas (1)
South Dakota (1)
| Area | Forest | Acres |
|---|
| Indian Creek | Buffalo Gap National Grassland | 24,666 |
References (10)
- Austin, G. T. 1987. Nevada populations of <i>Polites sabuleti</i> and the descriptions of five new subspecies. Bulletin of the Allyn Museum. 109:1-21.
- Nevada Division of Natural Heritage. 2024. Element Subnational Ranking Form in Biotics 5 database. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
- Pelham, J. P. 2008. A catalogue of the butterflies of the United States and Canada with a complete bibliography of the descriptive and systematic literature. The Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera. Volume 40. 658 pp. Revised 14 February, 2012.
- Pelham, J.P. 2023. A catalogue of the butterflies of the United States and Canada. Revised 15 February 2023. http://butterfliesofamerica.com/US-Can-Cat.htm
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2023. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Findings for Five Species. Federal Register 88(158):55991-55995.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2023. National Listing Workplan. Online. Available: https://www.fws.gov/project/national-listing-workplan
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2024. Species status assessment report for the bleached sandhill skipper (<i>Polites sabuleti sinemaculata</i>), Version 1.1. March 2024. Pacific Southwest Region. 100 pp.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2025. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for the Bleached Sandhill Skipper. Federal Register 90(5):1421-1433.
- WildEarth Guardians. 2010. Petition to list ten Great Basin butterflies under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Petition Submitted to the U.S. Secretary of Interior Acting through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. WildEarth Guardians, Santa Fe, NM. Available online: http://www.wildearthguardians.org/site/DocServer/listing_petition_great_basin_butterflies.pdf?docID=608&AddInterest=1103
- Zhang, J., Q. Cong, J. Shen, P. A. Opler, N. V. Grishin. 2019. Changes to North American butterfly names. The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey 8(2):1-12.