Attributes of Heliopetes macaira

Turk's-cap White-Skipper
Heliopetes macaira (Reakirt, [1867])

Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Upperside is white; forewing outer margin and apex are dark. Dark markings of female are wider and wing bases are gray. Underside hindwing of both sexes has a diffuse pattern and an olive brown band at the outer margin.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 3/8 inches (3.2 - 3.5 cm).
Life History: Females lay eggs on twigs and buds of the host plant. Caterpillars feed on young leaves, flowers, and fruits. Young caterpillars hide in cracks on the host plant, while older ones live in shelters made of leaves.
Flight: Many broods from April-November in South Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Turk\'s-cap (Malvaviscus drummondii) in the mallow family (Malvaceae).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Subtropical forest edges and openings, thorn-scrub, weedy areas, and brush.
Range: South Texas south through Central America to Paraguay.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Taxonomy Notes:

Images of Heliopetes macaira

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Heliopetes macaira - 0875_41.jpg

Heliopetes macaira - 0875_41.jpg

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
October 07, 2010 Doug Taron Veracruz-Llave, Mexico January 07, 2013 Details
June 12, 2009 gunhilda Hidalgo County, Texas, United States July 24, 2012 Details
June 23, 2011 mrhawk Hidalgo County, Texas, United States August 15, 2011 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter (Derek Muschalek) DeWitt County, Texas, United States December 28, 2007 Details
October 14, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico October 01, 2007 Details
October 16, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico October 01, 2007 Details
October 15, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) San Luis Potosi, Mexico October 01, 2007 Details
October 16, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico October 01, 2007 Details
October 17, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico October 01, 2007 Details
October 16, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico October 01, 2007 Details
October 15, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico October 01, 2007 Details
November 07, 2006 legacy.reporter (Dan Hardy) Texas, Travis County, United States April 02, 2007 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Sinaloa, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Sonora, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Nuevo Leon, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Tamaulipas, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Aransas County, Texas, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Bastrop County, Texas, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Bee County, Texas, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Calhoun County, Texas, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Cameron County, Texas, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Comal County, Texas, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Fort Bend County, Texas, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Hidalgo County, Texas, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, Kenedy County, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, Kleberg County, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, Live Oak County, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, Nueces County, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, Refugio County, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, San Patricio County, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, Starr County, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, United States, Uvalde County December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, United States, Victoria County December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, United States, Willacy County December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, United States, Zapata County December 31, 2004 Details