Calpodes ethlius
Encyclopedia
The Brazilian Skipper, Larger Canna Leafroller or Canna Skipper (Calpodes ethlius) is a butterfly
of the Hesperiidae family. It is found from southern Florida
and southern Texas
, south through the West Indies, Mexico
, and Central America
to Argentina
. Strays and temporary colonies can be found north to southern Nevada
, northern Texas
, Illinois
and Massachusetts
.
The wingspan
is 45-61 mm. Adults are on wing in late summer in the north. There are several generations from April to December in southern Texas, two generations from July to November in Arizona. Adults are on wing throughout the year in Florida and the tropics.
The larvae feed on various Marantaceae
species, including Canna flaccida
, Canna indica
, Canna edulis and Canna lutea. The larvae roll the leaves of their host, reducing the aesthetic appeal of ornamental canna. Leaf feeding by later instar larvae may be so severe that plants do not flower. In food crops such as arrowroot, severely defoliated plants may produce little of the harvestable rhizome.
Adults feed on Lantana in Arizona. In Costa Rica, adults have been recorded feeding on the nectar from large white or pale yellow flowers of woody lianas, trees and shrubs.
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 southern Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and 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...
, south through the West Indies, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
to 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...
. Strays and temporary colonies can be found north to southern Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, northern 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...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
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 45-61 mm. Adults are on wing in late summer in the north. There are several generations from April to December in southern Texas, two generations from July to November in Arizona. Adults are on wing throughout the year in Florida and the tropics.
The larvae feed on various Marantaceae
Marantaceae
The Marantaceae or arrowroot family is a family of flowering plants known for its large starchy rhizomes. It is sometimes called the prayer-plant family...
species, including Canna flaccida
Canna flaccida
Canna flaccida Salisb. is a species of the Canna genus, a member of the family Cannaceae. Indigenous to the wetlands of south-eastern USA. It was a parent to many of the early-hybridised cannas originally known as orchid flowered cannas, but now correctly named as Italian Group cannas. It grows...
, Canna indica
Canna indica
Canna indica L. is a species of the Canna genus, belonging to the family Cannaceae, a native of the Caribbean and tropical Americas that is also widely cultivated as a garden plant...
, Canna edulis and Canna lutea. The larvae roll the leaves of their host, reducing the aesthetic appeal of ornamental canna. Leaf feeding by later instar larvae may be so severe that plants do not flower. In food crops such as arrowroot, severely defoliated plants may produce little of the harvestable rhizome.
Adults feed on Lantana in Arizona. In Costa Rica, adults have been recorded feeding on the nectar from large white or pale yellow flowers of woody lianas, trees and shrubs.