Attributes of Megathymus ursus
Ursine Giant-Skipper
Megathymus ursus Poling, 1902
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Megathyminae
Identification: Antennal club is white. Upperside is black; forewing has white spots near the apex and a wide band varying from yellow to orange; hindwing has no markings. Underside of hindwing is gray with 2 white spots near the costa.
Wing Span: 2 1/2 - 3 inches (6.3 - 7.6 cm).
Life History: Adults have a rapid flight. Females glue eggs singly on leaves of the host. A young caterpillar eats leaf tips and then burrows into the root and makes a tent. Older caterpillars hibernate in their tents and eventually pupate there. Chrysalids can move up and down in their tents.
Flight: One brood from May-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Schott\'s yucca (Yucca schottii), Arizona yucca (Y. arizonica), banana yucca (Y. baccata), and Torrey's yucca (Y. torreyi).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed, but males sip moisture from mud.
Habitat: Grassy shrubland and open yucca-oak woodland.
Range: Rare and local in the mountains of southern Arizona, southern New Mexico, southwest Texas, and northern Mexico.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G3 - Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range (21 to 100 occurrences). (Threatened throughout its range).
Management Needs: None reported.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Megathymus ursus
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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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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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June 18, 2011 | choyt | Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States | August 15, 2011 | Details |
| July 03, 2006 | stevecary (David Ferguson) | Valencia County, New Mexico, United States | February 13, 2011 | Details | |
| July 07, 1956 | legacy.reporter (Stallings & Turner) | Pima County, Arizona, United States | January 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 07, 1994 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | Pima County, Arizona, United States | January 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 19, 2010 | John Saba (John Saba) | Pima County, Arizona, United States | August 03, 2010 | Details | |
| November 29, 2003 | nick.grishin (Nick Grishin) | Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States | May 07, 2007 | Details | |
| July 18, 2006 | legacy.reporter (Dave Ferguson) | Valencia County, New Mexico, United States | May 07, 2007 | Details | |
| November 15, 2003 | nick.grishin (Nick Grishin) | Grant County, New Mexico, United States | May 07, 2007 | Details | |
| November 16, 2003 | nick.grishin (Nick Grishin) | Sierra County, New Mexico, United States | May 07, 2007 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Cochise County, Arizona, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Maricopa County, Arizona, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Pima County, Arizona, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Pinal 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 | Yavapai County, Arizona, United States | 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 | Torrance County, New Mexico, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Dona Ana County, New Mexico, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Otero County, New Mexico, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Eddy County, New Mexico, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Brewster County, Texas, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Culberson County, Texas, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | El Paso County, Texas, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Hudspeth County, Texas, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Texas, Kinney County, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Texas, Pecos County, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details |
