| Euphyes arpa | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Hesperiidae |
| Genus: | Euphyes |
| Species: | E. arpa |
| Binomial name | |
| Euphyes arpa | |
| Synonyms | |
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Euphyes arpa, the palmetto skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae.
The wingspan is 41–49 mm. Males are more colorful, portraying a bright orange body with black borders, while females have more neutral coloring. Both have orange heads and an orange underside. The Euphyes arpa are most commonly found in Florida, but have been documented in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. Although this species has been nicknamed the Palmetto Lowcountry Skipper, they have not been recorded in the low country of the Palmetto State, South Carolina, or the surrounding regions.
The larvae feed on the fronds of the palm species Serenoa repens , the saw palmetto, and live in silken tubes at the frond base. [4] The species overwinters in the larval stage. [4]
Adults feed on flower nectar from various plants, including the pickerelweeds (genus Pontederia ). [4] Adult males perch in sedge marshes to await females. [4]
Habitat is generally moist with low palmetto scrub, including open pine flats, and forested scrub/shrub wetlands, with a necessary abundance of saw palmetto. [1] [5]
E. arpa is found in most of Florida, and immediately adjacent Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, possibly established resident only in Florida and Mississippi. [1]
Adults occur in most of Florida from about March to November, apparently with several broods per year. [1]
The species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List. [6] NatureServe ranks the species with a rounded global conservation status of G3: vulnerable. [1] The species may be extirpated in the Florida Keys. [1]
