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Phocides palemon

(Guava Skipper)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Guava 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 Pyrginae

Pyrgines are primarily tropical American species of the Family Hesperiidae. There are approximately 80 North American species. Most genera are tropical, but the duskywings and checkered-skippers are mainly temperate and also occur in Eurasia . Adults of many species land with their wings open, although some perch with their wings closed or half open. They imbibe nectar from flowers, and males of many species take in moisture from moist sand or mud . Some adults also feed on bird droppings. Many tropical species rest underneath leaves when inactive . Females lay eggs singly. Most species lay eggs directly on host-plant leaves, while others lay on nearby plants or objects. Almost all species use broad-leafed plants as their caterpillar hosts, and caterpillars live in rolled-leaf or webbed-leaf shelters .[2]

Physical Description

Species Phocides palemon

Fringes are white. Upperside is black with green rays leading from the wing bases . Underside is black with a red bar at the costal edge . (ref. 104841)

Color:

Fringes are white. Upperside is black with green rays leading from the wing bases . Underside is black with a red bar at the costal edge .

Size/Age/Growth

Wing span : 1 5/8 - 2 1/2 inches (4.2 - 6.3 cm).

Habitat

Subtropical woods , city gardens.

Biology

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Diet

Caterpillar hosts: Guava (Psidium species). Adult food: Presumably flower nectar.

Reproduction

Females lay eggs singly on the upperside of terminal leaves of the host plant. Caterpillars spend the day in leaf shelters and eat leaves during the night.

Behavior

Flight: Many broods in February, April, and June-December in South Texas.

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Phocides

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 6 species and subspecies in this genus:

P. belus (Beautiful Beamer) · P. palemon (Guava Skipper) · P. pigmalion (Mangrove Skipper) · P. pigmalion okeechobee (Batabano Skipper) · P. polybius (Bloody Spot) · P. urania (Jade Beamer)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 17, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/taxonomy?f=19&sci=Hesperiidae&com=Skippers [back]
  2. http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Thessia&search=Search [back]
Last Revised: 7/14/2012