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Ochlodes agricola

(Rural Skipper)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Rural 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 Ochlodes agricola

Upperside is yellow-orange with dark borders and light translucent spots; male forewing stigma has gray in the center. Underside is reddish brown; hindwing band is pale to absent. (ref. 105081)

Color:

Upperside is yellow-orange with dark borders and light translucent spots; male forewing stigma has gray in the center. Underside is reddish brown; hindwing band is pale to absent.

Size/Age/Growth

Wing span : 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).

Habitat

Chaparral , streamsides, woodland openings, fencerows.

Biology

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Diet

Caterpillar hosts: Grasses. Adult food: Flower nectar.

Reproduction

Males perch at the edges of clearings to await receptive females.

Behavior

Flight: One brood from May-June.

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Ochlodes

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 10 species and subspecies in this genus:

O. agricola (Rural Skipper) · O. agricola agricola (Rural Skipper) · O. agricola verus (Verus Rural Skipper) · O. sylvanoides (Woodland Skipper) · O. sylvanoides catalina (Woodland Skipper) · O. sylvanoides sacramentorum (Woodland Skipper) · O. venatus (Large Skipper) · O. venatus venatus (Large Skipper) · O. yuma (Yuma Skipper) · O. yuma anasazi (Yuma 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: 7/16/2012