Liris Skipper (Lerema ancillaris [Evans])
Wing span: 1 - 1 1/8 inches (2.5 - 2.9 cm).
Identification: Upperside is brown-black; male forewing has a dark stigma. Underside of hindwing is yellow-brown with no markings.
Life history: Not reported.
Flight: August-October in South Texas, throughout the year in Mexico.
Caterpillar hosts: Grasses including bamboo and sugarcane.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Subtropical forests near rivers.
Range: Peru north through Central America to Mexico. A 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