Megathymus streckeri | |
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Species: | M. streckeri |
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Megathymus streckeri (Skinner, 1895) [1] | |
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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. [2] Its habitats include short grass prairies, sand hills, and rocky bluffs. [3]
The wingspan is 57–78 mm. The forewings are wide. The upperside is black, the forewing has white spots near the tip and a yellow band, while the hindwing has a white to yellow marginal band and long hairlike scales. The underside of the hindwings is gray or mottled gray and black, and has several white spots. Adults are on wing from May to July in one generation. Adults males sip moisture from mud.
The larvae feed on Yucca glauca , Yucca constricta , Yucca angustissima and Yucca baileyi . [3] Young larvae burrow into the stem of the host plant toward the root. After hibernating in the burrow, the larvae surface through the stem or soil and construct a tent of silk, soil and plant debris in which pupation takes place.
Pieris brassicae, the large white, also called cabbage butterfly, cabbage white, cabbage moth (erroneously), or in India the large cabbage white, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is a close relative of the small white, Pieris rapae.
Anthocharis cethura, the desert orangetip or Felder's orangetip, is a species of butterfly in the subfamily Pierinae. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it lives on hills and ridges in rocky desert habitat.
Colias croceus, clouded yellow, is a small butterfly of the family Pieridae, the yellows and whites.
Apatura iris, the purple emperor, is a Palearctic butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
The sooty orange tip is a Palearctic Pieridae butterfly that has a range that extends through southern Europe, southwest Europe, northern Africa, East Kazakhstan and Asia Minor. Global warming currently seems to be extending its range to the north. The habitat consists of open flowery grasslands amongst hills.
Ceratomia amyntor, the elm sphinx or four-horned sphinx, is a North American moth in the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Carl Geyer in 1835. It has a wingspan of 3+1⁄4-4+1⁄2 inches. As the name suggests, the larvae (caterpillars) feed on elm trees (Ulmus), but they can also be found feeding on birch (Betula), basswood (Tilia), and cherry (Prunus). When the caterpillars are ready, they crawl to the bottom of the host tree, where they crawl underneath the soil and pupate and may overwinter underground if late enough into the year. Vegetable growers should be aware of this larvae due to its insatiable appetite. One of these larvae are capable in devouring huge amounts of plant's foliage and even succulent stems.
Aporia agathon, the great blackvein, is a mid-sized butterfly of the family Pieridae, that is, the yellows and whites, which is found in Nepal, India, China and Southeast Asia.
Megathymus yuccae, the yucca giant-skipper, is a rare early season butterfly that is widespread across the southern United States. It belongs in the family Hesperiidae, subfamily Megathyminae.
Boloria bellona, the meadow fritillary, is a North American butterfly in the brushfoot family, Nymphalidae. The common name, meadow fritillary, is also used for a European butterfly species, Melitaea parthenoides.
Nathalis iole, the dainty sulphur or dwarf yellow, is a North American butterfly in the family Pieridae.
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".
Chlosyne lacinia, the bordered patch or sunflower patch, is a North and South American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.
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.
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.
Papilio torquatus, the torquatus swallowtail, is a swallowtail butterfly in the subfamily Papilioninae. It is found from northern Argentina to Mexico.
Parnassius behrii, the Sierra Nevada parnassian, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is native to the Sierra Nevada of California, US, where it is found in habitats such as rock slides, alpine tundra, and stream edges. Adults use members of the family Asteraceae as nectar plants, and both adults and larvae use Sedum species as nectar and host plants. P. behrii has one flight from mid-July to early September.
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.
Tegeticula cassandra is a moth of the family Prodoxidae. It is found in the United States in north-central Florida and bordering areas of Georgia. The habitat consists of open pine and pine-oak forests and open grassy areas with oak scrub.
Hierodoris illita is a moth of the family Oecophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in both the North and South Islands. However this species has not been recorded at Stewart Island / Rakiura.