| Orange giant-skipper | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Hesperiidae |
| Genus: | Agathymus |
| Species: | A. neumoegeni |
| Binomial name | |
| Agathymus neumoegeni (W. H. Edwards, 1882) | |
Agathymus neumoegeni is commonly referred to as the orange giant-skipper, Neumogen's giant-skipper, Neumogen's agave borer, Neumogen's moth-skipper, and tawny giant-skipper.
This butterfly is typified by its orange spots. The upperside of its wings are an orange to yellowish orange with black margins and black patches. The underside of the hindwings are colored a darker shade of gray and marked by a pale shaded band. Also found on the underside of the wings are two indistinct white spots along its upper boundaries. [1] However, there are small discrepancies between the female and male genders of the orange giant-skippers. The males have orange spots that form a band on both the forewing and the hindwing. The outside portion of spot seven overlies the interior edge of spot six on its forewing. In females, the orange band is thicker and the inner end of spot nine on its forewing is pointed. Both genders have a wingspan that ranges from 1.75 to 2.375 inches (44.5 to 60.3 mm). [2] The caterpillar form of the orange giant-skipper has a body that is usually a greenish or bluish white with a dark brown head [3] Different from "true butterflies", skippers rest with their forewings open at a 45-degree angle and hindwings horizontal. Skippers are grouped together in part because of their swiftly direct and vigorous flight patterns. [4] The butterfly deemed the Arizona giant-skipper ( Agathymus aryxna ) is sometimes confused with the orange giant-skipper due to their similar post median bands and coloring. However, the orange giant-skipper is typically distinguishable by its broader bands and its abundant orange coloring. [5] Also, the Arizona giant-skipper has fringes that are almost always checked white and black while the orange giant-skipper's fringes are usually no more than black.
The orange giant-skipper survives in a dry grassland or in an open woodland habitat and has been found near mesas and mountains at 2165–2790 meters. [6] They can be found in central Arizona, Texas and New Mexico more commonly between the months of May and September. [7] The skipper only takes flight once a year, during the months of September and October. [8] However, akin to the majority of giant-skippers, the orange giant-skipper adults are usually difficult to find; the caterpillars may be more easily discovered in the host plants. This bright insect can sometimes be spotted flying around agaves in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico.
The host plant for the orange giant-skipper caterpillar is Parry's agave ( Agave parryi ). The young caterpillars eat plant pulp before hibernation. Adult males feed on moisture from mud or manure while the adult females do not feed at all.
From early morning until noon the male orange-giant skipper will sit near host plants to wait for receptive females. The female lays around 80 to 150 eggs and lives less than a week. The eggs are a pale yellow that later turn a deep red and orange and hatch within eighteen to nineteen days. They are laid individually on or nearby the host but end up falling to the base of the plant because they are not glued on. The young caterpillar crawls to the tip of the leaf and burrows inside it, eating pulp and then hibernating. In the spring it makes a new burrow in a leaf base, which is where it feeds on sap until it once again becomes inactive for the summer. Before it pupates, the caterpillar expands the opening of its burrow and makes a silk trap door which is where the adult can emerge out from. Their pupation behavior is different from most other butterflies because they pupate in a cocoon of leaves and silken threads. [9]
Papilio glaucus, the eastern tiger swallowtail, is a species of butterfly native to eastern North America. It is one of the most familiar butterflies in the eastern United States, ranging north to southern Ontario, Canada, and is common in many different habitats. It flies from spring until fall, during which it produces two to three broods. Adults feed on the nectar of many species of flowers, mostly from those of the families Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, and Fabaceae. P. glaucus has a wingspan measuring 7.9 to 14 cm. The male is yellow with four black "tiger stripes" on each forewing. Females may be either yellow or black, making them dimorphic. The yellow morph is similar to the male, but with a conspicuous band of blue spots along the hindwing, while the dark morph is almost completely black.
Papilio troilus, the spicebush swallowtail or green-clouded butterfly, is a common black swallowtail butterfly found in North America. It has two subspecies, Papilio troilus troilus and Papilio troilus ilioneus, the latter found mainly in the Florida peninsula. The spicebush swallowtail derives its name from its most common host plant, the spicebush, members of the genus Lindera.
The silver-washed fritillary is a common and variable butterfly found over much of the Palearctic realm – Algeria, Europe and across the Palearctic to Japan.
The purple hairstreak is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae distributed throughout much of Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, Caucasia, and Transcaucasia. The larva feeds on Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, Quercus cerris and Quercus ilex.
The grayling or rock grayling is a species in the brush-footed butterfly family Nymphalidae. Although found all over Europe, the grayling mostly inhabits coastal areas, with inland populations declining significantly in recent years. The grayling lives in dry and warm habitats with easy access to the sun, which helps them with body temperature regulation.
Battus philenor, the pipevine swallowtail or blue swallowtail, is a swallowtail butterfly found in North America and Central America. This butterfly is black with iridescent-blue hindwings. They are found in many different habitats, but are most commonly found in forests. Caterpillars are often black or red, and feed on compatible plants of the genus Aristolochia. They are known for sequestering acids from the plants they feed on in order to defend themselves from predators by being poisonous when consumed. The adults feed on the nectar of a variety of flowers. Some species of Aristolochia are toxic to the larvae, typically tropical varieties. While enthusiasts have led citizen efforts to conserve pipevine swallowtails in their neighborhoods on the West coast, the butterfly has not been the subject of a formal program in conservation or protected in legislation. The butterfly is however of "Special Concern" in Michigan, which is on the Northern limit of its range.
Eumorpha labruscae, the gaudy sphinx, is a moth in the family Sphingidae.
The giant swallowtail is the largest butterfly in North America. It is abundant through many parts of eastern North America; populations from western North America and down into Panama are now considered to belong to a different species, Papilio rumiko. Though it is often valued in gardens for its striking appearance, its larval stage can be a serious pest to citrus farms, which has earned its caterpillars the names orange dog or orange puppy. The giant swallowtail caterpillars possess remarkable camouflage from predators by closely resembling bird droppings. They use this, along with their osmeteria, to defend against predators such as wasps, flies, and vertebrates.
Papilio aegeus, the orchard swallowtail butterfly or large citrus butterfly is a species of butterfly from the family Papilionidae, that is found in eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Trapezites eliena, commonly known as the orange ochre or eliena skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is endemic to Australia, where it occurs in Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, and Victoria. It inhabits coastal or montane eucalypt forests.
Euptoieta claudia, the variegated fritillary, is a North and South American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Even though the variegated fritillary has some very different characteristics from the Speyeria fritillaries, it is still closely related to them. Some of the differences are: variegated fritillaries have two or three broods per year vs. one per year in Speyeria; they are nomadic vs. sedentary; and they use a wide range of host plants vs. just violets. And because of their use of passionflowers as a host plant, variegated fritillaries also have taxonomic links to the heliconians. Their flight is low and swift, but even when resting or nectaring, this species is extremely difficult to approach, and, because of this, its genus name was taken from the Greek word euptoietos meaning "easily scared".
Telegonus cellus, the golden banded-skipper, is a North and Central American species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. There are two populations, one in the eastern United States and the other in the southwestern United States and Mexico. The eastern population is rare and local and uses only one host plant, the thicket bean. The southwestern population is uncommon to common and uses more than one host plant. The golden banded-skipper is most active mid-morning and late afternoon. Their flight is sluggish and low to the ground, compared to closely related species.
Chlosyne lacinia, the bordered patch or sunflower patch, is a North and South American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.
Trapezites phigalia, commonly known as the heath ochre or phigalia skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is endemic to Australia, where it occurs in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. It is primarily found in eucalypt woodlands, open forests, and coastal healthland habitats.
Trapezites phigalioides, commonly known as the montane ochre or phigalioides skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is endemic to Australia, where it occurs in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and Victoria. It occurs primarily in open eucalypt forests, usually above 300 m (980 ft) altitude, extending up to 1,400 m (4,600 ft) altitude in subalpine woodland habitat in parts of New South Wales. The range of this species largely overlaps with the closely related heath ocre .
Trapezites praxedes, commonly known as the southern silver ochre or praxedes skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is endemic to Australia, where it occurs in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
Chlorostrymon simaethis, the silver-banded hairstreak, is a North and South American butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is also known as St. Christopher's hairstreak and the Key lime hairstreak.
Dispar compacta, commonly known as the dispar skipper, barred skipper, or barred grass-skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It was described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1882 as Telesto compacta and is endemic to eastern Australia.
Polites vibex, or the whirlabout, is a grass skipper in the family Hesperiidae. The whirlabout gets its name from the landing and take off flight patterns of the adult – a circular or vortex or whirling motion. It is resident from the southeastern U.S. and West Indies to eastern Mexico through the tropics down to Argentina. During the warmer North American months, it can sometimes be found as far north as Ohio, Connecticut, and northeast Iowa.
Megathymus streckeri, or Strecker's giant skipper, is butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in the United States from southeastern Montana and southwestern North Dakota south to southern Texas and west to northwestern Arizona and southwestern Utah. Its habitats include short grass prairies, sand hills, and rocky bluffs.