Attributes of Agathymus evansi

Huachuca Giant-Skipper
Agathymus evansi (H.A. Freeman, 1950)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Megathyminae
Identification: Upperside is very dark black-brown with orange at the wing bases. Band of spots on each wing is narrow and yellow (yellow-orange in females) with black veins separating the spots. Underside of hindwing is mottled gray and brown with pale overscales, and has an indistinct pale band.
Wing Span: 1 3/4 - 2 3/8 inches (4.5 - 6.1 cm).
Life History: From early morning to noon males perch near host plants to wait for receptive females. Eggs are laid singly on the host and fall to the base of the plant. A young caterpillar crawls to a leaf tip and burrows inside where it eats pulp and then hibernates. In the spring the caterpillar makes a new burrow in a leaf base where it feeds on sap until becoming inactive for the summer. Before pupating, the caterpillar enlarges the opening of its burrow and makes a silk trap door from which the adult can emerge.
Flight: One brood from September-October.
Caterpillar Hosts: Parry\'s agave (Agave parryi).
Adult Food: Females do not feed; males take moisture from mud.
Habitat: Open woodland.
Range: Huachuca and Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona.
Conservation: Populations and their habitats should be conserved wherever found.
NCGR: G1 - Critically imperiled globally because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences, or very few remaining individuals), or because of some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable to extinction. (Critically endangered throughout its range).
Management Needs: Preserve habitat and discourange overgrazing.
Taxonomy Notes:

Images of Agathymus evansi

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Agathymus evansi - 5001.jpg

Agathymus evansi - 5001.jpg

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The map below displays all verified sighting records in the BAMONA database for this species. Each record is indicated with a yellow dot. The orange dots on the map provide access to information about the 400 most recently verified sightings of this species. In some instances, there are several records at the same location. Use the table view to access these records.

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The fifty most recently verified sightings are below. See more recently verified sightings of all species.

Observation Date Submitter Region Verified Datesort icon
September 05, 1983 legacy.reporter (D. Parkinson) Cochise County, Arizona, United States December 01, 2012 Details
October 04, 2011 Gary Jue Cochise County, Arizona, United States October 29, 2011 Details
September 03, 1950 legacy.reporter (Stallings & Turner) Cochise County, Arizona, United States January 01, 2011 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Cochise County, Arizona, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Sonora, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Chihuahua, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Durango, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details