Golden-headed Scallopwing (Staphylus ceos [W. H. Edwards])
Wing span: 15/16 - 1 1/8 inches (2.4 - 2.9 cm).
Identification: Uppersides of head and palpi are orange. Wings are sooty black; forewing has very small, translucent white spots near the apex. Margins of hindwing are barely scalloped.
Life history: Adults fly near the ground. To find females, males patrol in valleys and gulches.
Flight: Many flights from April-December in Texas; April-September northward.
Caterpillar hosts: Fremont's goosefoot (Chenopodium fremontii).
Adult food: Not reported.
Habitat: Valleys, washes, desert canyons.
Range: Southern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and west and South Texas south to Durango, Mexico.
Conservation: Not usually required.
The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management needs: None reported.
References:
Bailowitz, R. A., and J. P. Brock. 1991. Butterflies of southeastern Arizona. Sonoran Arthropod Studies, Inc., Tucson, Arizona. 342 pages. Opler, P. A. and V. Malikul. 1992. A field guide to eastern butterflies. Peterson field guide #4. Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston. 396 pages, 48 color plates. Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates. Tilden, J. W. 1986. A field guide to western butterflies. Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass. 370 pages, 23 color plates.
Author: Jane M. Struttmann
State and Regional References:
Bailowitz, R. A. and J. P. Brock. 1991. Butterflies of Southeastern Arizona. Tucson, Ariz.: Sonoran Arthropod Studies, Inc. Garth, J.S. 1950. Butterflies of Grand Canyon National Park. Grand Canyon Natural History Association, Grand Canyon, Ariz. Opler, Paul A. 1999. Peterson Field Guide to Western Butterflies, revised edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass. Stanford, R.E. and P.A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of Western USA Butterflies. Privately published, Denver, Colo. Tilden, J.W. and A.C. Smith. 1986. A Field Guide to Western Butterflies. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.