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Falcate Skipper (Spathilepia clonius [Cramer])
Wing span: 1 5/8 - 1 13/16 inches (4.2 - 4.6 cm).
Identification: Tip of forewing is truncated; outer edges of wings are scalloped between the vein endings. Upperside is dark brown; forewing has a diagonal white band.
Life history: Not reported.
Flight: May-July and October-November in South Texas; all year in Mexico and Central America.
Caterpillar hosts: Bean (Phaseolus) and Inga in Brazil.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Dense undergrowth at the edge of woods along the Rio Grande.
Range: Argentina north through Central America to Mexico. A rare stray to South Texas.
Conservation: Not necessary for a rare stray.
The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management needs: None reported.
References:
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.
Author: Jane M. Struttmann
State and Regional References:
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.
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 1999 -
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