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Ochlodes yuma

(Yuma Skipper)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Yuma 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 yuma

Upperside has narrow dark borders blending into the reddish orange ground color, dark veins, and small indistinct pale spots. Male has a long, narrow black stigma; females is larger and darker with pale spots more distinct . Underside of hindwing is yellow with no markings or with very faint pale spots. (ref. 105082)

Color:

Upperside has narrow dark borders blending into the reddish orange ground color, dark veins, and small indistinct pale spots. Male has a long, narrow black stigma; females is larger and darker with pale spots more distinct . Underside of hindwing is yellow with no markings or with very faint pale spots.

Size/Age/Growth

Wing span : 1 1/8 - 1 3/8 inches (2.9 - 3.5 cm).

Habitat

Freshwater marshes, stream courses , oases, ponds , seeps , sloughs , springs , and canals.

Biology

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Diet

Caterpillar hosts: Common reed (Phragmites australis). Adult food: Flower nectar.

Reproduction

Males perch among host plants in low spots all day to await females. Females deposit eggs on or near the host plants. Caterpillars feed on leaves and take shelter in nests of rolled leaves.

Behavior

Flight: Two broods from June-July and August-September from California north to southern Utah; one brood from July-September along the Colorado River .

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