Achlyodes mithridates
Encyclopedia
The Sickle-winged Skipper (Achlyodes mithridates) is a butterfly
of the Hesperiidae family. It is found from Argentina
, north through tropical America and the West Indies to southern Texas
. A regular stray north to central Texas
, rarely to Arkansas
and Kansas
.
The wingspan
is 35–45 mm. Adults are on wing all year round in most of its range.
The larvae feed on leaves of Rutaceae
species, including Zanthoxylum fagara
in Texas and Zanthoxylum monophyllum in tropical America. Adults feed on flower nectar.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the Hesperiidae family. It is found from Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, north through tropical America and the West Indies to southern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. A regular stray north to central Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, rarely to Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
and Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 35–45 mm. Adults are on wing all year round in most of its range.
The larvae feed on leaves of Rutaceae
Rutaceae
Rutaceae, commonly known as the rue or citrus family, is a family of flowering plants, usually placed in the order Sapindales.Species of the family generally have flowers that divide into four or five parts, usually with strong scents...
species, including Zanthoxylum fagara
Zanthoxylum fagara
Zanthoxylum fagara is a species of flowering plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae that is native to southern Florida and Texas in the United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America as far south as Paraguay...
in Texas and Zanthoxylum monophyllum in tropical America. Adults feed on flower nectar.
Subspecies
Note that several of these subspecies are considered species by some authors.- Achlyodes mithridates mithridates (Jamaica)
- Achlyodes mithridates papinianus (Trinidad, Cuba)
- Achlyodes mithridates tamenund (Mexico, Texas)
- Achlyodes mithridates thraso (Peru, Argentina, Greater Antilles, southern Mexico to Paraguay, Ecuador, Brazil)
- Achlyodes mithridates minor (Puerto Rico, Dominica)
- Achlyodes mithridates sagra (Haiti)