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Euphyes arpa

(Palmetto Skipper)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Palmetto Skipper

Description

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Family Hesperiidae

'The Hesperiidae are members of the Superfamily Hesperioidea. Worldwide in distribution, skippers are richest in the tropics. More than 3,500 species are described, with approximately 275 in North America, many of which are found only in Arizona and Texas. Most skippers are small to medium, usually orange, brown, black, white, or gray. A few have iridescent colors. Skippers have large eyes, short antennae (often with hooked clubs), stout bodies, and three pairs of walking legs . Their flight is often rapid, making wing movement appear blurred. Adults of most species have long probicscises and feed on floral nectar, but some also take up nutrients from bird droppings. Males have scent scales found in modified forewing patches. Males of most species locate mates by perching (grass and giant-skippers), though some patrol, especially in the open-winged skippers. Globular eggs are laid singly.

'[1]

Subfamily Hesperiinae

The grass skippers are members of the Family Hesperiidae. Distributed worldwide, they comprise more than 2,000 species, most of which are found in the American tropics. The small to medium-sized adults usually have abruptly angled antennae with an apiculus at the tip . Adults of many temperate species are predominantly orange, while brown is the most common color of the tropical species. Male forewings usually have a brand or stigma with specialized scales . Most species have long proboscises and are avid flower-visitors. Adults flight is rapid, and perching posture is unique: the hindwings are opened at a wider angle than the forewings. Males of most species perch while looking for mates. Caterpillars feed on monocotyledons (grasses and allied plants ) and live in silken leaf nests that sometimes extend underground. Grass skippers typically overwinter as caterpillars within their shelters .[2]

Physical Description

Species Euphyes arpa

Head and front of thorax are bright orange. Male Upperside of forewing is reddish-yellow with black borders and a 2-part black stigma; hindwing is black. Female: Upperside is mostly black with a few reddish-yellow patches. Both sexes: Underside of hindwing is bright yellow-orange with no markings. (ref. 105100)

Size/Age/Growth

Wing span : 1 5/8 - 1 15/16 inches (4.1 - 4.9 cm). (ref. 105100)

Habitat

Lowland palmetto scrub . (ref. 105100)

Biology

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Diet

Caterpillar hosts: Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens). (ref. 105100)

Adult food: Nectar from flowers including pickerelweed. (ref. 105100)

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Euphyes

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 16 species and subspecies in this genus:

E. arpa (Palmetto Skipper) · E. bayensis (Bay Skipper) · E. berryi (Berry's Skipper) · E. bimacula (Two-Spotted Skipper) · E. bimacula illinois (Two-Spotted Skipper) · E. conspicua (Black Dash) · E. dion (Dion Skipper) · E. dukesi (Dukes' Skipper) · E. dukesi calhouni (Dukes' Skipper) · E. dukesi dukesi (Dukes' Skipper) · E. pilatka (Palatka Skipper) · E. pilatka klotsi (Palatka Skipper) · E. vestris (Dun Skipper) · E. vestris harbisoni (Dun Skipper) · E. vestris metacomet (Eastern Dun Skipper) · E. vestris vestris (Dun Skipper)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/taxonomy?f=19&sci=Hesperiidae&com=Skippers [back]
  2. http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Stinga&search=Search [back]
Last Revised: 2012-07-26