HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp

Clickable Guide

Sponsor

The Coleopterists Society supports BugGuide.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

See Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29

Photos of insects and people from the 2015 gathering in Wisconsin, July 10-12

Previous events

TaxonomyBrowse

Info

ImagesLinksBooksData

Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Skippers (Hesperiidae) » Grass Skippers (Hesperiinae) » Hesperiini » Asbolis » Monk Skipper - Hodges#4079 (Asbolis capucinus)

Species Asbolis capucinus - Monk Skipper - Hodges#4079

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

Neamathla, I presume? - Asbolis capucinus

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 Asbolis

Species capucinus (Monk Skipper - Hodges#4079)

Hodges Number

4079

Size

Wingspan: 45-60 mm

Identification

Second largest US grass skipper, with long pointed wings.

Dorsal, dark brown/black with rufous edge at FW base. Male has a black stigma, and the female has 2 pale elyptical spots on the FW.

Ventral, solid dark color flecked with light scales, and light colored wing fringes. This and the larger size, help diferentiate them from Palatka Skipper.

Range

South and central Florida.

Habitat

A wide variety of habitats where there are palms.

Season

Central Florida has 3-4 broods, March-December. South Florida and the Keys all year with continuous broods.

Food

Many species of palms. Caterpillars feed on mature leaves, and fold the fronds to make a nest.

Remarks

Introduced species first noticed in the late 1940's.

One of just a few grass skippers that doesn't feed on grass.

Males have look-out perches for females, and they will dart out at intruders, protecting their territory. They're very fast fliers, especially for their large size.

See Also

Dun Skipper - larvae feed on sedges, not palms; adults smaller than Monk Skipper (29-35mm wingspan vs 45mm or larger)

Palatka Skipper - see Identification section, above

Print References

(1) (2) (3)

Internet References

ButterfliesAndMoths.org - species profile

Dorsal picture

Ventral picture

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: The East Jeffrey Glassberg. 1999. Oxford University Press.

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 21 August, 2004 - 10:51am
Additional contributions by Steve Nanz, tom murray, Abigail Parker
Last updated 2 July, 2017 - 7:09am

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2023 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version