Veined White-Skipper (Heliopetes arsalte [Linnaeus])
Wing span: 1 7/16 - 1 11/16 inches (3.7 - 4.3 cm).
Identification: Upperside is white; forewing tip is black. Underside of forewing has orange at the base of the front edge. Underside of hindwing has thick black veins.
Life history: Not reported.
Flight: October in South Texas, May-November in Mexico and Central America.
Caterpillar hosts: Not reported, but probably plants in the mallow family (Malvaceae).
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Open subtropical scrub, forest edges, and weedy pastures.
Range: Argentina north through Central America to central Mexico. A rare stray to South 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