Baracoa Skipper (Polites baracoa [Lucas])
Wing span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).
Identification: Upperside is dark brown; forewing with orange bars; male forewing with a very short stigma. Underside is brown; forewing markings repeated; hindwing with a row of pale spots.
Life history: Not reported.
Flight: Several broods from March-November.
Caterpillar hosts: Grasses.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Grassy places near marshes and streams.
Range: Peninsular Florida, neighboring areas of south Georgia and southern Alabama, and the West Indies.
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:
Opler, P. A. and G. O. Krizek. 1984. Butterflies east of the Great Plains. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 294 pages, 54 color plates. 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.
Author: Jane M. Struttmann
State and Regional References:
Harris, L., Jr. 1972 Butterflies of Georgia. Univ. of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK. 326 pp. Opler, P.A. 1998. A field guide to eastern butterflies, revised format. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston.