Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Guava Skipper
Phocides polybius (Fabricius, 1793)


Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Eudaminae
Identification: Fringes are white. Upperside is black with green rays leading from the wing bases. Underside is black with a red bar at the costal edge.
Wing Span: 1 5/8 - 2 1/2 inches (4.2 - 6.3 cm).
Life History: Females lay eggs singly on the upperside of terminal leaves of the host plant. Caterpillars spend the day in leaf shelters and eat leaves during the night.
Flight: Many broods in February, April, and June-December in South Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Guava (Psidium species).
Adult Food: Presumably flower nectar.
Habitat: Subtropical woods, city gardens.
Range: The lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas south through Mexico and Central America to Argentina.
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.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Phocides palemon
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