Attributes of Proteides mercurius

Mercurial Skipper
Proteides mercurius (Fabricius, 1787)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Head and thorax are bright orange above; forewings are elongate. Upperside of wings is brown with golden orange at the bases. Underside is chestnut brown with white frosting on outer edges; center of hindwing has an indistinct white mark.
Wing Span: 2 1/4 - 2 3/4 inches (5.8 - 7 cm).
Life History: Adults bask with their wings spread open. Males perch to find females. Caterpillars rest in leaf shelters and come out at night to eat leaves.
Flight: April-May in southern Florida, April-October in South Texas, all year in Mexico.
Caterpillar Hosts: Tree and vine legumes including senna (Cassia), cow pea (Vigna), and Muellera.
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Near streams in lowland tropical forests, particularly in edges and openings.
Range: Argentina north through Central America to Mexico and the West Indies. Strays to Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.
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:

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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 Datesort icon
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Alachua County, Florida, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Sinaloa, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Tamaulipas, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, Kerr County, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Bexar County, Texas, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Galveston County, Texas, United States December 31, 2004 Details
October 18, 2003 legacy.reporter (North American Butterfly Association (NABA) of South Texas)) Cameron County, Texas, United States January 29, 2007 Details
May 22, 2002 legacy.reporter (North American Butterfly Association (NABA) of South Texas)) Hidalgo County, Texas, United States January 29, 2007 Details
October 15, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico September 11, 2007 Details
October 15, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) San Luis Potosi, Mexico September 11, 2007 Details
October 16, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico September 11, 2007 Details
September 12, 1992 legacy.reporter (Bailowitz & Brodkin) Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States January 07, 2008 Details
September 12, 1992 legacy.reporter (H. Brodkin & R. Bailowitz) Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States December 01, 2012 Details