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Wallengrenia otho

(Southern Broken)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Southern Broken, Southern Broken-Dash

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 Wallengrenia otho

Upperside of male is brown with a few orange or red-oranges patches and a two-part black stigma (the "broken dash "). Female upperside is dark brown with pale orange spots. Underside of hindwing in both sexes is orange or red-orange and has a band of pale spots. (ref. 105071)

Color:

Upperside of male is brown with a few orange or red-oranges patches and a two-part black stigma (the "broken dash"). Female upperside is dark brown with pale orange spots. Underside of hindwing in both sexes is orange or red-orange and has a band of pale spots.

Size/Age/Growth

Wing span : 1 - 1 3/8 inches (2.4 - 3.5 cm).

Habitat

Openings near wooded rivers or swamps . Frequents gardens.

The species has a tendency to occur in or near wetlands, but not in truly wet places. Typical habitats are the edges of bottomlands or pocosins , marsh borders , moist powerline clearings, and particularly savannas . It can be seen in drier places, but it is not to be intentionally searched for in uplands . In fact, it can be locally numerous in some gardens/arboretums, as long as the foodplants are nearby. (ref. 104778)

Biology

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Diet

Caterpillar hosts: Paspalum and St . Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum). Adult food: Nectar from flowers including pickerelweed, selfheal, and sweet pepperbush.

Various grasses are the foodplants. The species nectars on many plants , such as forbs growing in savannas -- blazing stars (Liatris spp. ), etc. Individuals even visit gardens and nurseries, such as the N.C. State's Raulston Arboretum and the Sarah Duke Gardens. (ref. 104778)

Caterpillar hosts: Paspalum and St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum). (ref. 105071)

Reproduction

Males perch on vegetation within 2 feet of the ground to watch for females, usually in the early morning. Females lay eggs singly on or near the host plants . Caterpillars live in nests of silk-tied leaves; when they come out to eat they carry a piece of leaf over themselves for protection.

Behavior

Flight: Two broods (sometimes a partial third) from April-October; all year in peninsular Florida and South Texas.

Flight period: Two broods downstate; mid-May to mid-June, and mid- or late July to late September, very rarely to early October. Much more data needed for the mountains. (ref. 104778)

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Similar Species

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The very rich rusty brownish-orange color, relatively small size (for skippers in general), and "3" shaped mark in underhindwing distinguish this from other species.

Members of the genus Wallengrenia

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 2 species and subspecies in this genus:

W. egeremet (Northern Broken-Dash) · W. otho (Southern Broken)

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 26, 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=Stinga&search=Search [back]
Last Revised: 7/16/2012