Chestnut-marked Skipper (Thespieus macareus [Herrich-Schäffer])
Wing span: 1 5/16 - 1 1/2 inches (3.4 - 3.9 cm).
Identification: Upperside is dark brown with large transparent white spots on both wings. Underside of hindwing is variegated white, brown, gray, and red.
Life history: Not reported.
Flight: Several broods; from July-November in South Texas, February-November in Mexico and Central America.
Caterpillar hosts: Not reported.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Subtropical thorn scrub.
Range: Venezuela north through Colombia and Central America to central Mexico. An occasional 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.
Author: Jane M. Struttmann