Attributes of Agathymus stephensi
California Giant-Skipper
Agathymus stephensi (Skinner, 1912)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Megathyminae
Identification: Fringes are distinctly checkered. Upperside is brown-black with yellowish scales at the wing bases and cream-colored spots. Hindwing spot band is curved and there is usually a spot in the cell. Underside of hindwing is mottled gray with irregular bands of cream-colored spots.
Wing Span: 2 - 2 1/4 inches (5.1 - 5.7 cm).
Life History: The adults roost on bushes, the males usually in canyon bottoms. 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 make a new burrow in a leaf base where it feeds on sap until ceasing activity 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: Desert agave (Agave deserti).
Adult Food: Females do not feed; males sip moisture from mud.
Habitat: Sonoran desert.
Range: The Colorado Desert in Riverside and San Diego counties, California; Baja California Norte.
Conservation: Populations and their habitats should be conserved wherever found.
NCGR: G2 - Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 to 20 occurrences), or because of other factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range. (Endangered throughout its range).
Management Needs: Conserve habitat and discourage overgrazing.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Agathymus stephensi
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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 Date |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Riverside County, California, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | San Diego County, California, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Imperial County, California, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Baja California Norte, Mexico | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| October 04, 1986 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | San Diego County, California, United States | August 07, 2009 | Details | |
| October 04, 1986 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | San Diego County, California, United States | August 07, 2009 | Details | |
| October 16, 1936 | legacy.reporter (John A. Comstock) | San Diego County, California, United States | August 07, 2009 | Details | |
| September 30, 1934 | legacy.reporter (Not given) | Riverside County, California, United States | August 07, 2009 | Details | |
| October 18, 1965 | legacy.reporter (J. W. Tilden) | San Diego County, California, United States | October 16, 2009 | Details | |
| October 20, 1956 | legacy.reporter (H. Avery Freeman) | San Diego County, California, United States | December 17, 2009 | Details | |
| October 10, 1922 | legacy.reporter (George Field) | San Diego County, California, United States | January 05, 2010 | Details | |
| September 19, 1993 | legacy.reporter (Jeffrey Glassberg) | San Diego County, California, United States | January 05, 2010 | Details | |
| September 23, 1973 | legacy.reporter (J. Emmel, R. Highton) | Riverside County, California, United States | January 06, 2010 | Details | |
| October 17, 1976 | legacy.reporter (Oakley Shields) | Imperial County, California, United States | January 07, 2010 | Details | |
| October 08, 2007 | legacy.reporter (Kojiro Shiraiwa) | San Diego County, California, United States | December 31, 2010 | Details | |
| October 11, 2007 | legacy.reporter (Kim Davis & Mike Stangeland) | San Diego County, California, United States | December 31, 2010 | Details | |
| October 01, 2005 | legacy.reporter (unknown) | San Diego County, California, United States | December 31, 2010 | Details | |
| October 04, 2004 | legacy.reporter (William Bouton) | San Diego County, California, United States | December 31, 2010 | Details |
