Hidden-ray Skipper (Conga chydaea [Butler])
Wing span: 15/16 - 1 3/16 inches (2.4 - 3 cm).
Identification: Upperside is dark brown; forewing has a number of small transparent spots. Underside is yellow-brown; forewing has a short white streak.
Life history: Not reported.
Flight: July-October in South Texas, May-December in Mexico.
Caterpillar hosts: Not reported.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Along wooded canal levees in Texas.
Range: Argentina north through Central America to Mexico. A rare stray to the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas.
Conservation: Not required 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. 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.
Author: Jane M. Struttmann