 |
 
 |
|
|
|
Olive-clouded Skipper (Lerodea arabus [W. H. Edwards])
Wing span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.4 - 3.2 cm).
Identification: Male has no stigma. Upperside is brown-black; forewing has transparent spots which are larger than those of the Eufala Skipper; hindwing may have pale spots. Underside is light gray; hindwing has a dark brown patch in the center.
Life history: Males perch all day to wait for receptive females. Eggs are laid singly on the host plants.
Flight: Several flights in Arizona from February-December.
Caterpillar hosts: Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) and green spangletop (Leptochloa dubia).
Adult food: Flower nectar including that from Bidens and Lantana.
Habitat: Subtropical thorn forest, grassy open woodland, towns and fields.
Range: Southern Arizona and western 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.
Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press,
Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.
Stanford, R. E. and P. A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of western USA butterflies including
adjacent parts of Canada and Mexico. Denver and Fort Collins, CO.
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:
Ferris, C.D. and F.M. Brown. 1980. Butterflies of the Rocky Mountain States.
University of Oklahoma Press. Norman.
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.
Add Toliver, M., Holland, R., and S.J. Cary. 1996. Distributional data
for New Mexico Butterflies. Privately published. Albuquerque, N.M.
|
 1999 -
All Rights Reserved
| |