Attributes of Megathymus yuccae
Yucca Giant-Skipper
Megathymus yuccae (Boisduval & Leconte, [1837])
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Megathyminae
Identification: Very large and robust. Forewing is long and pointed. Upperside is black; forewing with a yellow band near the lower outer margin and small white spots near the tip and costa; hindwing with a yellow band on the outer margin. Females may have orange-yellow to yellow spots on the hindwing. Underside of hindwing is gray with white spots on the costa.
Wing Span: 1 7/8 - 3 1/8 inches (4.8 - 7.9 cm).
Life History: Adults are very swift fliers. Males perch in the morning near the host plants to await females. Females glue eggs singly to leaves of small host plants. Young caterpillars feed near the tips of leaves and may web together small leaves to make a nest. Older caterpillars bore into the growing point of the plant and feed on the root, making a silk chimney or tent which projects from the growing point. Fully-grown caterpillars overwinter in their burrows and then pupate there in late winter or early spring. The chrysalids are able to move up and down in their burrows.
Flight: One brood from mid-February to mid-May.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various yuccas including bear grass (Yucca filamentosa), Small's yucca (Y. smalliana), Spanish dagger (Y. gloriosa), (Y. elata), and (Y. arizonica) and Spanish bayonet (Y. aloifolia).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed, but males take moisture at mud.
Habitat: Coastal dunes, open yucca flats, desert canyons, open woodland, grassland, and old fields.
Range: Western population east to Nebraska and east Texas, south to northern Mexico. Southeastern population: Southeast Virginia south to southern peninsular Florida, west to Arkansas and Louisiana.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Megathymus yuccae
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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.
Instructions: Click on the map and move your mouse to pan.
Zoom by using the plus [+] and minus [-] on the left side of the map.
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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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April 27, 2013 | joeschelling | Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States | April 29, 2013 | Details |
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April 19, 2013 | joeschelling | Grant County, New Mexico, United States | April 24, 2013 | Details |
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April 13, 2013 | dspicer | Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States | April 16, 2013 | Details |
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March 23, 2013 | nabaker | Texas, Kimble County, United States | March 27, 2013 | Details |
| March 10, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| March 18, 2012 | legacy.reporter (Kazuo Inagaki) | Bibb County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| March 31, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Bibb County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 08, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| March 14, 2004 | legacy.reporter (Mark Walker) | Maricopa County, Arizona, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
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April 03, 2012 | Odonut62 | Texas, Lubbock County, United States | November 01, 2012 | Details |
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March 19, 2012 | Roy Brown | Early County, Georgia, United States | September 21, 2012 | Details |
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May 19, 2012 | dspicer | McMinn County, Tennessee, United States | May 21, 2012 | Details |
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May 01, 2012 | fbooth7 | Bradley County, Tennessee, United States | May 04, 2012 | Details |
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April 07, 2012 | jjweber | Texas, Travis County, United States | April 13, 2012 | Details |
| March 15, 1969 | legacy.reporter (unknown) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 13, 1978 | legacy.reporter (C. Lawson) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 27, 1978 | legacy.reporter (C. Lawson) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 16, 1979 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 29, 1979 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 06, 1978 | legacy.reporter (C. Lawson) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 28, 1978 | legacy.reporter (C. Lawson) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 26, 1977 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 28, 1977 | legacy.reporter (unknown) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 04, 1978 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 13, 1978 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| March 07, 1967 | legacy.reporter (Peter Herlan) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| March 29, 1978 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| March 29, 1978 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 08, 1971 | legacy.reporter (R. E. Wells) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 08, 1977 | legacy.reporter (Richard Bailowitz) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 12, 1978 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 20, 1978 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 17, 1966 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 28, 1973 | legacy.reporter (J. F. Leser) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 20, 1975 | legacy.reporter (Jim Brock) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 24, 1977 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
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March 03, 2007 | RaisingButterflies.org | Washington County, Utah, United States | November 28, 2011 | Details |
| April 23, 2011 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Bibb County, Alabama, United States | May 31, 2011 | Details | |
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April 11, 2011 | jrfleullan | Jones County, Georgia, United States | May 03, 2011 | Details |
| April 11, 2011 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | Kern County, California, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
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April 19, 2011 | dspicer | Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States | April 20, 2011 | Details |
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April 14, 2011 | AJ Trently | Fayette County, Tennessee, United States | April 16, 2011 | Details |
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April 04, 2011 | stevecary (James Lofton) | Curry County, New Mexico, United States | April 08, 2011 | Details |
| April 25, 2010 | stevecary | Sierra County, New Mexico, United States | January 25, 2011 | Details | |
| April 21, 1994 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | Mohave County, Arizona, United States | January 01, 2011 | Details | |
| April 17, 2008 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | Mohave County, Arizona, United States | January 01, 2011 | Details | |
| March 15, 1966 | legacy.reporter (Killian Roever) | Maricopa County, Arizona, United States | January 01, 2011 | Details | |
| May 06, 1967 | legacy.reporter (Ronald S. Wielgus) | Navajo County, Arizona, United States | January 01, 2011 | Details | |
| August 07, 1968 | legacy.reporter (R. Garrison) | Maricopa County, Arizona, United States | January 01, 2011 | Details | |
| March 07, 1967 | legacy.reporter (Peter Herlan) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2011 | Details |
