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Whirlabout

Hedone vibex · Skippers

Whirlabout (Hedone vibex)
(c) Mary Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA) · CC BY-NC-SA · via iNaturalist

Whirlabout (Hedone vibex) is in the Skippers family (Hesperiidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 7,748 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in September.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: summer visitor / breeder. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

When to photograph Whirlabout: observations by month (U.S.)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Whirlabout by state

StateObservationsPeak monthMain season
Florida3,714AprilMar–Oct
Texas1,515NovemberOct–Nov
Georgia1,055SeptemberApr–Oct
Alabama434AugustJul–Sep
South Carolina381SeptemberApr–Oct
Louisiana221OctoberJun–Oct
North Carolina216SeptemberMay–Sep
Mississippi212AugustApr–Sep

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related butterflies (Skippers)

Photography tips

  • Butterflies are sluggish on cool mornings — the best time for close approaches.
  • Keep the sensor parallel to the wings for edge-to-edge sharpness.
  • Nectar plants in bloom are reliable places to wait.

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Whirlabout?
Nationally, September has the most observations, with the main season from March to November.
Where is Whirlabout most often seen?
The most observations come from Florida, Texas, Georgia.