Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

  Sighting 855406

Strecker's Giant-Skipper
Megathymus streckeri

Observation date: April 30, 2013
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: The two individuals I saw flew low to the ground-perhaps 6 inches to 1.5 feet above the ground. Strangely, I could hear the sound of the wing flaps. It sounded like a rapid nick-nick-nick ... These two individuals always landed on a vertical or almost vertical stick or vine as seen in the submitted photo.
Status: Unknown
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: April 30, 2013
Coordinator notes: This is a rare sighting this far east of the main range, though BAMONA shows earlier records for Louisiana and Arkansas on the species sightings map. The photo of the underside of the hindwing has several large white spots, as in the description of this species. The sighting photo matches well with one on BAMONA and the figure in Opler/Malikul's "Eastern Butterflies". The submitter noted a nick-nick sound when the skippers were flying and the descrition on BAMONA states the females make a clicking sound in flight. All of these factors enter into the acceptance and verification of this sighting as Strecker's Giant-Skipper, Megathymus streckeri.