Attributes of Urbanus proteus
Long-tailed Skipper
Urbanus proteus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Tails are long. Upperside is dark blackish brown; body and wing bases are iridescent blue-green. Males have a costal fold enclosing scent scales on the leading edge of the forewing. Dark row on underside of hindwing is a complete band.
Wing Span: 1 3/4 - 2 5/16 inches (4.5 - 6 cm).
Life History: Adults roost upside down under leaves and limbs. To seek females, males perch 3-6 feet above the ground in sunlit openings. Females lay eggs under leaves in clusters of up to 20. Caterpillars feed on leaves and live in shelters of rolled leaves.
Flight: Two to three broods throughout the year in south Florida and South Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Vine legumes including various beans (Phaseolus), hog peanuts (Amphicarpa bracteata), beggar's ticks (Desmodium), blue peas (Clitoria), and wisteria (Wisteria).
Adult Food: Flower nectar from a variety of plants including bougainvillea, lantana, and shepherd's needle.
Habitat: Brushy fields, edges of woods, gardens, and other disturbed open habitats.
Range: Argentina north through Central America, the West Indies, and Mexico to peninsular Florida and South Texas. Occasionally strays and colonizes north to Connecticut, southern Illinois, eastern Kansas, southern Arizona, and southern California.
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: Urbanus proteus caterpillars are sometimes pests on snap beans.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Urbanus proteus
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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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By default, the fifty most recently verified sightings are below. Sort by Observation Date to see the most recent sightings, or filter the sightings by region to get a regional list.
| Observation Date | Submitter | Region |
Verified Date |
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September 13, 2012 | KristyBaker | Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States | May 11, 2013 | Details |
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January 25, 2013 | dendroica5 | The Bahamas | April 17, 2013 | Details |
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October 19, 2012 | jjflossem | Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States | February 13, 2013 | Details |
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January 22, 2013 | suedavies28 | Orange County, Florida, United States | February 11, 2013 | Details |
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January 26, 2013 | Urbanusproteus | Indian River County, Florida, United States | February 11, 2013 | Details |
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January 26, 2013 | Nancee Cobb | Jackson County, Florida, United States | February 11, 2013 | Details |
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July 22, 2012 | K Stilwell | Tazewell County, Virginia, United States | February 04, 2013 | Details |
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January 01, 2013 | rseidler | Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States | January 21, 2013 | Details |
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October 06, 2012 | richardhsmith (Kim and Matt Hafner) | Harford County, Maryland, United States | January 08, 2013 | Details |
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October 03, 2012 | richardhsmith (David Amadio) | Sussex County, Delaware, United States | January 08, 2013 | Details |
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October 02, 2012 | Chip Krilowicz | Cape May County, New Jersey, United States | January 04, 2013 | Details |
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October 18, 2012 | Matt ODonnell | Prince William County, Virginia, United States | January 04, 2013 | Details |
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September 21, 2012 | betjas | Henry County, Tennessee, United States | December 30, 2012 | Details |
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November 18, 2012 | goldilocks0613 | Texas, Montgomery County, United States | December 27, 2012 | Details |
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December 15, 2012 | sassym0mma09 | Texas, Orange County, United States | December 27, 2012 | Details |
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August 31, 2010 | JeanEvoy | De Soto County, Florida, United States | December 14, 2012 | Details |
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November 22, 2012 | Terry W. Johnson | Monroe County, Georgia, United States | December 04, 2012 | Details |
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October 15, 2012 | crprice | Ripley County, Missouri, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details |
| September 19, 1981 | legacy.reporter (Jim Brock) | Cochise County, Arizona, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 11, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Mobile County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| June 09, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Bibb County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 04, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Cleburne County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 29, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Jefferson County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| October 23, 2011 | legacy.reporter (Patsy Harris Russo) | Baldwin County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| August 12, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Mobile County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| August 20, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Baldwin County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| August 25, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Cleburne County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| August 26, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Perry County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| September 01, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Jefferson County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| September 14, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| September 15, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Bibb County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| September 22, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | DeKalb County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| September 29, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Jefferson County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| October 04, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Jefferson County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| October 13, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Mobile County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| October 14, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Baldwin County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| October 21, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| November 03, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Colbert County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| October 05, 2005 | John Saba (John Saba) | Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
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September 23, 2012 | Bob Ford | Haywood County, Tennessee, United States | November 18, 2012 | Details |
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October 24, 2012 | BellaFarfalla | Maury County, Tennessee, United States | November 18, 2012 | Details |
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September 14, 2012 | Jeff Trahan | Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States | November 14, 2012 | Details |
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September 23, 2012 | Jeff Trahan | De Soto Parish, Louisiana, United States | November 14, 2012 | Details |
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October 08, 2012 | rseidler | Red River Parish, Louisiana, United States | November 14, 2012 | Details |
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October 03, 2012 | Jeff Trahan | Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States | November 13, 2012 | Details |
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November 07, 2012 | Jeff Trahan | Cameron Parish, Louisiana, United States | November 13, 2012 | Details |
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October 07, 2012 | Harry Forbes | Jackson County, Texas, United States | November 12, 2012 | Details |
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October 05, 2012 | Harry Forbes | Brazoria County, Texas, United States | November 12, 2012 | Details |
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October 13, 2012 | Mike Dillon | Texas, Shelby County, United States | November 12, 2012 | Details |
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November 10, 2012 | Kimberly Mrozinski | Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States | November 10, 2012 | Details |
