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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Skippers (Hesperiidae) » Grass Skippers (Hesperiinae) » Hesperiini » Euphyes » Palmetto Skipper - Hodges#4070 (Euphyes arpa)

Species Euphyes arpa - Palmetto Skipper - Hodges#4070

Classification · Hodges Number · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Possible Palmetto Skipper - Euphyes arpa - male

Butterfly on Chaffhead - Euphyes arpa - female

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)

Family Hesperiidae (Skippers)

Subfamily Hesperiinae (Grass Skippers)

Tribe Hesperiini

Genus Euphyes

Species arpa (Palmetto Skipper - Hodges#4070)

Hodges Number

4070

Size

41-49mm wingspan

Identification

One of the larger grass skippers, with angular wings.

Dorsal, male has a dark orange head and mantle, and a thin black stigma on the FW. Female has a band of creamy spots on the FW, HW mostly brown.

Ventral, strikingly unmarked bright orange on both sexes.

Range

Florida and gulf coast to Al and Ms.

Habitat

Open pine/palmetto areas.

Season

2-3 broods mostly seen March-May and July-October.

Food

Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens).

Life Cycle

Caterpillars eat fresh Palmetto leaves, roll leaves with silk at the base of host plant for shelter, then cover the entrance, and pupate in the same spot. The late season caterpillars overwinter as larva.

Remarks

There's an abundance of Saw Palmetto for a foodsource, but for some reason, this species is declining.

Print References

Cech (1)

Brock (2)

Glassberg (3)

Allen et al., Caterpillars in the Field and Garden, p. 142--photo of caterpillar (4)

Internet References

Nearctica

NABA

Butterflies of North America

Works Cited

1.	Butterflies of the East Coast : An Observer's Guide Rick Cech, Guy Tudor. 2005. Princeton University Press.

2.	Butterflies of North America (Kaufman Focus Guides) Jim P. Brock, Kenn Kaufman. 2003. Houghton Mifflin Co.

3.	Butterflies through Binoculars: Florida Jeffrey Glassberg, Marc C. Minno, John V. Calhoun. 2000. Oxford Press.

4.	Caterpillars in the Field and Garden: A Field Guide to the Butterfly Caterpillars of North America Thomas J. Allen, James P. Brock, Jeffrey Glassberg. 2005. Oxford University Press.

Contributed by tom murray on 23 October, 2005 - 10:24am
Additional contributions by cotinis, Steve Nanz, Ron M.
Last updated 5 August, 2022 - 2:14am

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