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Arizona Powdered Skipper (Systasea zampa [W. H. Edwards])
Wing span: 1 - 1 1/2 inches (2.5 - 3.8 cm).
Identification: Outer margin of hindwing has 2 deep scallops. Upperside is orange-brown with darker olive-brown areas; forewing has a transparent median band that is broken below the cell.
Life history: To await females, males perch all day in gulches.
Flight: Several broods from April-October.
Caterpillar hosts: Possibly various plants in the mallow family (Malvaceae).
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Canyons, washes, and other openings in desert, thorn forest, and brushland.
Range: Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas.
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:
Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press,
Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.
Tilden, J. W. 1986. A field guide to western butterflies. Houghton-Mifflin Co.,
Boston, Mass. 370 pages, 23 color plates.
Author: Jane M. Struttmann
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 1999 -
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